I’ve found that I often receive requests for resources on the various topics about which I write (medicine, end-of-life care, homeschooling, etc). To address needs more systematically, twice a month I’m going to post topical book lists. Some will be on Christian themes; others on medical ones; still others resources for homeschooling.

This first book list entails resources for those struggling with dilemmas in end-of-life medical care. With the exception of Atul Gawande’s book, the following approach the issue from a Christian perspective.

Dunlop J. Finishing Well to the Glory of God : Strategies from a Christian Physician (Crossway, 2011) -Dr. Dunlop offers believers a beautiful, tenderly-written guide to resting in the arms of Christ at the end of life. He weaves medical advice throughout a narrative that at some points reads like a memoir, and at other times like a devotion.

Gawande A. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End (Picador 2017) – Although he does not write from a Christian perspective, Dr. Gawande offers invaluable insight to aging, nursing home care, hospice, and care goals in his best-selling book.

Jacobs MR. A Clergy Guide to End-of-Life Issues (The Pilgrim Press 2010) – This is an accessible, clearly-written, and practical guide to end-of-life care, with clergy as a target audience.

Moll R. The Art of Dying: Living Fully in the Life to Come. (IVP Books 2010) – Christianity Today editor Rob Moll offers a candid survey of how medical advancements have changed our experience of death, and explores how to face life’s end with our eyes on the cross.

Orr R. Medical Ethics and the Faith Factor: A Handbook for Clergy and Healthcare Professionals (Eerdmans 2009) – Comprehensive, thorough, thoughtful, an excellent resource in medical bioethics, with attention to Christian theology.

Van Drunen D. Bioethics and the Christian Life: A Guide to Making Difficult Decisions (Crossway 2009) – A survey of multiple issues in bioethics, this thoughtful book includes a chapter on end-of-life care, with an emphasis on broad principles.