As the bestselling non-fiction book of all time, the Bible certainly remains in a league of its own. But there are a few tomes by Christian authors that remain remarkably popular with readers.
Recently, LifeWay Christian Resources announced that it would close all 170 of its brick-and-mortar stores. Two years prior, Family Christian, reportedly the world’s largest Christian retailer, shut down all 240 of its stores.
If not shopping online, readers still have options for brick-and-mortar stores. Barnes and Nobles, Amazon stores, supermarkets, and pharmacies are just some of the places where readers can buy books. Also, let’s not forget mom-and-pop stores and local church-run bookstores.
But just because brick-and-motor bookstores have been shutting down, that doesn’t mean Christian readers’ habits have changed.
Reader demand for Christian-themed books remains strong. In fact, religion publishers have seen a growth in year-over sales revenue, according to the Association of American Publishers.
But which books have been consistent bestsellers for the Christian market? Are some of your favorite authors responsible? Check out the list below to find out.
10 Christian Books That Have Sold More Than 10 Million Copies
- The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman – Chapman’s marriage advice book was published in 2015 by Northfield Publishing. The book is so popular, a few similar titles have been published specifically for men and even children.
- The Living Bible paraphrased by Ken Taylor (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.)
- Holy Bible, New Living Translation (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.)
- Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence (with Scripture References) by Sarah Young – Jesus Calling was published in 2014 by Thomas Nelson. This controversial devotional book remains a hit with Catholics, according to Amazon. You might find it on the shelf in a bookstore alongside several derivative works with similar titles, such as Jesus Always and Jesus Today.
- Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo – This bestseller in the “heavenly visitations” genre was published in 2010 by Thomas Nelson, and adapted for film in 2014.
- More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowel and Sean McDowell – The bestselling version of More Than a Carpenter was published in 2009 by Tyndale Momentum. The original edition of More Than a Carpenter was published in 1986.
- The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity by William P. Young – This book-to-movie fiction title was published in 2007 by Windblown Media.
- The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life by Bruce H. Wilkinson – This book that takes a look at the Old Testament figure of Jabez was published in 2000 by Multnomah Publisher.
- KJV Gift and Award Bible (Thomas Nelson)
- The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren – This 2002 title was published by Zondervan, while an updated edition was introduced in 2013.
This list was inspired by Christian Book Expo.
