Most of the following books come from a charismatic, or at least a mild charismatic approach, defined primarily by the acceptance of, or openness to, the gifts of tongues, miracles, healing, and revelatory prophecy as modern gifts. This should not be a concern to readers with cessationist leanings. Virtually all of the relevant discussions over spiritual gifts can be approached independently of one’s position on the few miraculous gifts. There are continuationists and cessationists on both sides of probably every issue surrounding the gifts. The current situation, however, is that most of the best writing on spiritual gifts is at least open to the supernatural ones.
Practical Books
Rediscovering our Spiritual Gifts by Charles Bryant
(Nashville, TN: Upper Room Books, 1991)
Bryant really expands the gift list by including 32 current gifts, but his gift descriptions are probably the most insightful of any book available. He seems intuitively aware of the similarity of certain gifts such as knowledge and discernment. Bryant also writes that gifts affect personality, and therefore realizes that we use our gifts even when we are unaware of them. Includes a 160-question gift assessment.
The Spiritual Gifts Handbook by Bruce Black
(Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1995)
One of the best practical books on the subject, but unfortunately out of print. Black takes a conservative approach to the text concluding that the gift lists are not open ended, and that our gifts are permanent and were determined by God before the world began. He does combine helps/service and administration/leadership, and also takes the unusual perspective that the gift of prophecy possibly still exists in the Church in a non-revelational capacity, but that knowledge, wisdom, and discernment, were revelational and therefore passed away along with the miraculous gifts after the Apostolic Age. Includes a 60-question gift assessment.
Spiritual Gifts: Their Purpose and Power by Bryan Carraway
(Enumclaw, WA: Pleasant Word, 2005)
Carraway has written one of the newest books on the subject. His gift descriptions are long and better than most, and he expands the list to 30 current spiritual gifts. One issue that has desperately needed attention is addressed here. I call it the “three-list” view of spiritual gifts, and Carraway calls it the “motivational” view. This is where each of the three spiritual gift passages is divided into a different class of gifts, and only the list in Romans 12 can be classified as abilities that we possess. Carraway analyzes this view and rejects it. Includes a 150-question gift assessment by the author.
Your Spiritual Gifts by Donald Hohensee and Allen Odell
(Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992)
Written from a Wesleyan perspective. Includes 29 current gifts but the assessment only tests for 24 of them, adding short but insightful gift descriptions. This book covers many issues surrounding the gifts in a brief but thorough and well-balance manner. Includes a 120-quest gift assessment.
Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow by Peter Wagner
(Glendale, CA: Regal, 1979) and
Discover Your Spiritual Gifts by Peter Wagner
(Ventura, CA: Regal, 2002)
Peter Wagner is the most influential author on the subject of spiritual gifts. His gift definitions and other ideas have been extensively borrowed by other authors. Wagner is strongly charismatic, but he avoids many of the common errors in charismatic thinking to present some of the most insightful writing available on the topic.
Scholarly Books
There are many scholarly books that cover “spiritual gifts” as one of many topics, or as one aspect of a larger theme; but when it comes to volumes devoted entirely to the gifts, there are far more in the practical category than in the scholarly category. A great deal of the academic discussion regarding spiritual gifts takes place in the theological journals. Many people, like myself, don’t have easy access to these, or find them rather expensive to buy. Most of the scholarly books on the subject are reasonably good, and therefore, for the serious student, I would recommend most of what is available.
The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts by Max Turner
(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996)
The book is divided into two parts, just like the title. Almost precisely half is devoted the topic of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, including chapters on the Gift of the Spirit in Acts, Jesus and the Spirit, the Spirit in Paul, and the Spirit in John. The second half, about 180 pages, covers spiritual gifts. The first 70 or so of this section covers prophecy, tongues, and healing. Only about 60 or so pages covers the spiritual gifts as a whole, not just miraculous gifts. Most of the relevant questions regarding gifts are covered here in a thorough manner, including gift terminology, the nature of gifts, permanency of gifts, how many gifts per believer, and the relationship of gifts to fruits, natural abilities, and church offices. This book tends to be a little expensive, even used, but would be worth the price for the serious researcher.
The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today by Wayne Grudem
(Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2000)
This book does focus primarily on the gift of prophecy, but I would recommend it for a couple of reasons. First it is the most important book in the current debate over revelatory prophecy. Grudem’s makes a case for the gift of prophecy that is worth considering. Second, it covers so many of the issues regarding spiritual gifts in general that it makes a significant contribution to the entire field of spiritual gifts, not just the debate over prophecy. Of special interest to the general study of gifts would be his chapter on “Prophecy and Teaching: How Are They Different Gifts?,” the appendix titled “What Are the ‘Word of Knowledge’ and ‘Word of Wisdom’ in I Corinthians 12:8?,” and chapters on “Women and Prophecy” and “Prophecy and Church Government.”
Showing the Spirit: A Theological Exposition of 1 Corinthians 12-14 by D. A. Carson
(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1987)
Carson’s work is not a general treatise on spiritual gifts. It is what it claims to be, an exposition of I Corinthians 12-14, only rarely touching on the other gift passages. This book is not for light reading, as Carson’s intellectual ability lends to writing that is tightly argued and dense with meaning. It is, though, one of the most important treatments of the longest scriptural passage on the subject of spiritual gifts. The 28-page bibliography is suggestive of his incredible breadth and depth of scholarship.
Understanding Spiritual Gifts: A Verse-by-Verse Study of I Corinthians 12-14 by Robert L. Thomas
(Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1999)
Originally published in 1978, the 1999 edition is revised and expanded. Covers the same material as Carson from a decidedly cessationist perspective. Thomas’s cessationism expands to all of the gifts listed in I Corinthians 12: 8-10, assigning the word of wisdom, word of knowledge, discernment, and faith to the extinct category as well. He has one appendix on the definitions of the “18” spiritual gifts, and a lengthy one on “how to discover and use your spiritual gifts(s).”
A Pauline Theology of Charismata by Siegfried Schatzmann
(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1987)
This book began as a dissertation and is primarily an exegetical study of charisma as a term and a concept (charismata is the plural of charisma). It begins with an extensive study of the term, including its etymology, usage inside and outside of scripture, likely synonyms, and every context in which the term occurs. Schatzmann’s work is thought provoking and well regarded among scholars, but with a generous smattering of Greek script and an unnecessarily difficult writing style, it is not for the casual reader.
Practical Books
Rediscovering our Spiritual Gifts by Charles Bryant
(Nashville, TN: Upper Room Books, 1991)
Bryant really expands the gift list by including 32 current gifts, but his gift descriptions are probably the most insightful of any book available. He seems intuitively aware of the similarity of certain gifts such as knowledge and discernment. Bryant also writes that gifts affect personality, and therefore realizes that we use our gifts even when we are unaware of them. Includes a 160-question gift assessment.
The Spiritual Gifts Handbook by Bruce Black
(Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1995)
One of the best practical books on the subject, but unfortunately out of print. Black takes a conservative approach to the text concluding that the gift lists are not open ended, and that our gifts are permanent and were determined by God before the world began. He does combine helps/service and administration/leadership, and also takes the unusual perspective that the gift of prophecy possibly still exists in the Church in a non-revelational capacity, but that knowledge, wisdom, and discernment, were revelational and therefore passed away along with the miraculous gifts after the Apostolic Age. Includes a 60-question gift assessment.
Spiritual Gifts: Their Purpose and Power by Bryan Carraway
(Enumclaw, WA: Pleasant Word, 2005)
Carraway has written one of the newest books on the subject. His gift descriptions are long and better than most, and he expands the list to 30 current spiritual gifts. One issue that has desperately needed attention is addressed here. I call it the “three-list” view of spiritual gifts, and Carraway calls it the “motivational” view. This is where each of the three spiritual gift passages is divided into a different class of gifts, and only the list in Romans 12 can be classified as abilities that we possess. Carraway analyzes this view and rejects it. Includes a 150-question gift assessment by the author.
Your Spiritual Gifts by Donald Hohensee and Allen Odell
(Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992)
Written from a Wesleyan perspective. Includes 29 current gifts but the assessment only tests for 24 of them, adding short but insightful gift descriptions. This book covers many issues surrounding the gifts in a brief but thorough and well-balance manner. Includes a 120-quest gift assessment.
Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow by Peter Wagner
(Glendale, CA: Regal, 1979) and
Discover Your Spiritual Gifts by Peter Wagner
(Ventura, CA: Regal, 2002)
Peter Wagner is the most influential author on the subject of spiritual gifts. His gift definitions and other ideas have been extensively borrowed by other authors. Wagner is strongly charismatic, but he avoids many of the common errors in charismatic thinking to present some of the most insightful writing available on the topic.
Scholarly Books
There are many scholarly books that cover “spiritual gifts” as one of many topics, or as one aspect of a larger theme; but when it comes to volumes devoted entirely to the gifts, there are far more in the practical category than in the scholarly category. A great deal of the academic discussion regarding spiritual gifts takes place in the theological journals. Many people, like myself, don’t have easy access to these, or find them rather expensive to buy. Most of the scholarly books on the subject are reasonably good, and therefore, for the serious student, I would recommend most of what is available.
The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts by Max Turner
(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996)
The book is divided into two parts, just like the title. Almost precisely half is devoted the topic of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, including chapters on the Gift of the Spirit in Acts, Jesus and the Spirit, the Spirit in Paul, and the Spirit in John. The second half, about 180 pages, covers spiritual gifts. The first 70 or so of this section covers prophecy, tongues, and healing. Only about 60 or so pages covers the spiritual gifts as a whole, not just miraculous gifts. Most of the relevant questions regarding gifts are covered here in a thorough manner, including gift terminology, the nature of gifts, permanency of gifts, how many gifts per believer, and the relationship of gifts to fruits, natural abilities, and church offices. This book tends to be a little expensive, even used, but would be worth the price for the serious researcher.
The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today by Wayne Grudem
(Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2000)
This book does focus primarily on the gift of prophecy, but I would recommend it for a couple of reasons. First it is the most important book in the current debate over revelatory prophecy. Grudem’s makes a case for the gift of prophecy that is worth considering. Second, it covers so many of the issues regarding spiritual gifts in general that it makes a significant contribution to the entire field of spiritual gifts, not just the debate over prophecy. Of special interest to the general study of gifts would be his chapter on “Prophecy and Teaching: How Are They Different Gifts?,” the appendix titled “What Are the ‘Word of Knowledge’ and ‘Word of Wisdom’ in I Corinthians 12:8?,” and chapters on “Women and Prophecy” and “Prophecy and Church Government.”
Showing the Spirit: A Theological Exposition of 1 Corinthians 12-14 by D. A. Carson
(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1987)
Carson’s work is not a general treatise on spiritual gifts. It is what it claims to be, an exposition of I Corinthians 12-14, only rarely touching on the other gift passages. This book is not for light reading, as Carson’s intellectual ability lends to writing that is tightly argued and dense with meaning. It is, though, one of the most important treatments of the longest scriptural passage on the subject of spiritual gifts. The 28-page bibliography is suggestive of his incredible breadth and depth of scholarship.
Understanding Spiritual Gifts: A Verse-by-Verse Study of I Corinthians 12-14 by Robert L. Thomas
(Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1999)
Originally published in 1978, the 1999 edition is revised and expanded. Covers the same material as Carson from a decidedly cessationist perspective. Thomas’s cessationism expands to all of the gifts listed in I Corinthians 12: 8-10, assigning the word of wisdom, word of knowledge, discernment, and faith to the extinct category as well. He has one appendix on the definitions of the “18” spiritual gifts, and a lengthy one on “how to discover and use your spiritual gifts(s).”
A Pauline Theology of Charismata by Siegfried Schatzmann
(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1987)
This book began as a dissertation and is primarily an exegetical study of charisma as a term and a concept (charismata is the plural of charisma). It begins with an extensive study of the term, including its etymology, usage inside and outside of scripture, likely synonyms, and every context in which the term occurs. Schatzmann’s work is thought provoking and well regarded among scholars, but with a generous smattering of Greek script and an unnecessarily difficult writing style, it is not for the casual reader.
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