Are you looking for good Christian dating books? Look no further than our five favorite books from Christian authors that address dating, courtship, engagement, purity, marriage, and sexual relationships within the context of marriage. These books were written at different times over the last twenty years by a wide range of authors with different experiences, but all of them are super relevant to Christian singles and couples living in 2023!
So, if you’re looking for a terrific guide to navigating faith, dating, or a relationship with a future spouse, you should check out our favorite dating books for Christians!
#1: LOVE-OLOGY- John Mark Comer
This book is a good resource for Christians who are either single or engaged, waiting for that day when they are wed to their future bride or groom. The book is split into five primary topics:love, marriage, sex, romance, and the Biblical dynamics and roles between man and woman. In LOVE-OLOGY, Comer states that“it’s from the mind of God that we get the theology of love.”
Published 2013
There’s a heavy focus on the Story of Creation and life in the Garden of Eden found in Genesis:1-2. Just as He created the world and everything within, God created marriage and love. Comer goes over how God’s design for marriage and love is demonstrated by the early relationship of Adam and Eve, a template for what Christian marriage in today’s world should look like.
Comer shifts to the New Testament, where he discusses how the feeling we get of receiving love is a natural, God-given gift, and the action of giving love reflects the giving, self-sacrificing nature of Christ Himself. It’s through Jesus’ earthly ministry in the Gospels that we see the prime example of the posture of love seen through the drying of tears and the washing of feet. Comer even talks about the marriage of Christ and the Church shown in Revelation; true love made perfect once and for all.
Mark John Comer
There’s a lot of practical stuff in this book as well. Comer talks about things like family and sex from a Biblical perspective, but he also posits the question, “What is marriage for?” It’s a moving question that allows Christian believers to better understand the nature of what it means to be married and God’s expectation of both husband and wife. Comer suggests that basing marriage around the principles of friendship, leading fruitful lives, a healthy sexual relationship, and building a family are all part of God’s perfect design and order.
#2: Relationship Goals- Michael Todd
Anyone looking for a winning strategy for Christian dating, marriage, and sex, best check out Relationships Goals by Michael Todd.
It’s not just a book; there’s an entire sermon series available, as well as a devotional and study guide! It’s a masterclass in God-honoring relationships, both before and after marriage, where Todd blends stories from his personal life experience in dating and marriage along with solid support from the Scriptures, outlining God’s standards and design for marital relationships.
Published 2020
The early parts of the book have Michael Todd talking about his life before meeting his wife, Natalie. In particular, he focuses on his struggles living outside of God’s design for relationships, most notably his addiction to pornography. Todd then moves into how Christians can date with intentions and prepare their hearts, mind, and bodies for a future marriage.
Michael and Natalie Todd
The book is well known for breaking down its messages and concepts with good visuals and simple, easy-to-understand terms.
For example, Todd illustrates Christian men and women shifting focus from the world’s idea of dating and marriage to God’s purpose and design through “The Triangle” in Chapter 8. God is at the top of the triangle, with a man on one of the triangle’s bottom corners and a woman on the other. The connection of those three points is symbolic of God’s plan: 1 woman + 1 man + God = one healthy marriage.
#3: The Meaning of Marriage- Timothy and Kathy Keller
Amid a culture that, to some degree, has lost its sense of Biblical marriage and relational values, there’s The Meaning of Marriage, written by Timothy Keller and his wife, Kathy. This book gets back to the basics, the principles of marriage as laid out in God’s Word, and how God expects man and woman to partner together in a Christ-honoring relationship!
Published 2013
One of the beautiful aspects of The Meaning of Marriage is how Timothy Keller draws comparisons between marriage and the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, and what He accomplished for us on the cross. The book asks its readers, “How does marriage show you what the Gospel is?” And as you can imagine, there are a ton of parallels between the selfless love Christ showed us and the selfless love the Lord calls men and women to in the context of marriage!
Timothy and Kathy Keller
Timothy Keller and his wife, Kathy, tell many of their own personal marriage stories throughout the course of the book. So not only is The Meaning of Marriage anecdotal and down-home, but it’s also super readable and easy to absorb the content. The book is replete with Biblical-based principles on God’s design for marriage but framed in easy-to-understand terms and narratives.
#4: When God Writes Your Love Story- Leslie and Eric Ludy
If you’re looking for the ideal Christian dating book co-authored by a solid Christian couple, When God Writes Your Love Story is a must-read. This one combines Biblical principles and passages on God’s ideal for married couples with the personal testimonies of both Eric and Leslie. It includes stories of their lives before they met each other, throughout their time dating, and during their days as a married couple.
Published 1999
When God Writes Your Love Story is an excellent book for anyone who is single, engaged, or married. It gives practical, Biblical advice on submitting worldly desires to the Lord and letting Him direct your step as you navigate new relationships and keeping yourself pure before your wedding night. For its married readers, the book discusses God’s role for both man and woman, including the importance of serving one another selflessly.
Leslie and Eric Ludy
Perhaps one of the most important principles displayed in the book is listening regularly to the Holy Spirit for guidance in navigating romantic relationships. Leslie talks of her own experiences in listening to God’s voice in her relationship with Eric. The conviction with which their accounts are written makes for a compelling story that has appealed to many readers over the years. The book was a best-seller in the early 2000s, being republished in 2004 and then expanded upon five years later.
#5: 101 Questions to Ask Before You Get Engaged- H. Norman Wright
This is not so much an official Christian dating book (at least in the traditional sense) as it’s a list of 101 questions for Christian singles that addresses all kinds of subjects that could play a pivotal role in a future relationship, specifically a scenario where you’ve become engaged to another Christian believer.
Published 2004
This book is a treasure trove of practical questions you can ask your boyfriend, girlfriend, or fiancee that allows you to cover some of these crucial topics proactively. It’s a volume that’s easy to pick up at any time and use as a conversation starter with your significant other. Tackle essential subjects like your future finances, tithing, or dealing with conflict in your relationship.
H. Norman Wright
Some of the questions that H. Norman Wright features in the book include:
- Describe how you handle stress and frustration. What creates the most significant stress and frustrations in your life?
- Describe your spiritual journey over the past ten years, including high and low points.
- What is your greatest fear or concern about being married? What have you done to address these concerns?
- What have you learned from your previous relationships that will make you a better partner from someone at this time?
- Ten years from now, where would you like to be emotional? How about spiritually? How about economically? What about family size?
Wrap Up
Whether you’re single, dating, engaged, or already married to your husband or wife, there are plenty of great Christian dating books out there that can provide you with some insight and guidance in navigating Christian relationships! Learn how to grow and foster a relationship with that special someone that is pleasing to the Lord!