A couple of weeks ago, Christianity Today magazine asked dozens of evangelical leaders what their top choices were for books that have helped shape evangelicalism. The editors compiled these nominations into a list of The Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals.

How many books on this list have you read? I’ve only read 14 out of the 50, and to be honest, I’ve never even heard of the #1 book! Yet, apparently it had a huge impact on shaping the way we pray. It was written in the 1950s. Hmmmm … I’d like to read it someday to see why it was voted #1.

Several people wrote in to give feedback to the editors, complaining about books that were omitted. I found this interesting as well.

The big surprise for me was discovering that John and Elizabeth Sherrill ghostwrote three bestsellers. Are you ready for this? Here’s what the editors at Christianity Today say about the Sherrills:

John and Elizabeth Sherrill may be the most influential Christian authors you know nothing about. They appear three times on this list — step aside, C. S. Lewis and J. I. Packer—as co-authors of God’s Smuggler, The Cross and the Switchblade, and The Hiding Place.

Ghostwriters extraordinaire, longtime editors of Guideposts, and founders of Chosen Books (now a division of Baker Publishing), the couple also published Charles W. Colson’s Born Again. Their specialty: testimonials to the power of God’s Spirit. And, it seems, bestsellers.

How amazing is that! I’m still getting used to the idea that many Christian books I read are written by ghostwriters — who may or may not have their name on the cover of the book. Often, they don’t.

What the ghostwriter does is interview the person and then write his or her story through a first-person point of view. There’s an art to shaping a book like this. Interesting. Some writers I know refuse to do this without having their name on the book — but many do it anonymously for the money. I know several current Christian bestsellers that were ghostwritten, but I won’t spoil it for you! (You would be shocked — I was!)

I do know for a fact that Rick Warren wrote The Purpose-Driven Life! YEA! I heard his agent give a four-day seminar, and so he gave background details to how that incredible book came to be.

How many have you read? What do you think about this list?