The first books in the Elite Eight have been chosen by you, our voters. Click for a larger view or download the PDF.

The first teams books have arrived in the Elite Eight!

Fittingly, this region paired two giants of 20th century apologetics and two giants of theology. Will this regional final answer the question of whether readers prefer accessible apologetics or densely argued theology? I doubt it, but we’ll give it a try anyway!

Before sharing the results, however, I’d like to share a few of the incredible comments we’ve received online about the Best Christian Book of All Time Tournament. We’ve received record web traffic during the past 10 days, and our Facebook Wall has reflected the enthusiasm. Take, for example, the first comment we received Monday morning:

Oh no more of these!!!!

OK, so maybe that wasn’t the best comment to choose. This one is much better:

is this like march madness with christian theology books?

Yes. Yes, it is.

Thanks for voting! Keep up with the latest stats and vote for the Final Four on the ESN Facebook Page.

Theology & Apologetics

The number one seed in the region, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis defeated the challenger, Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton (4), by a score of 56–22.

If this were a boxing match, I think I know who would win.

Having already knocked off the number two seed, could Summa Theologica by Thomas Aquinas (7) repeat the upset? Alas, it was not to be. Augustine’s The City of God (3) held off the challenger to win 44–25.

Facing off against each other for a spot in our Final Four:

• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (1) vs. The City of God by Augustine (3)

Christian Life & Discipleship

In a “Battle of Bonhoeffers,” matching two of the most beloved books like German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (1) overcame Life Together (5) 51–19.

The Divine Conspiracy is the book I have been searching for all my life. Like Michelangelo’s Sistine ceiling, it is a masterpiece and a wonder.
– Richard Foster (Foreword to The Divine Conspiracy)

Kind words, but like a basketball coach building up the competition, they don’t mean much once the game begins. In the closest match of the day, Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline (6) defeated The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard (2) 38–27.

Competing for the Final Four slot out of the Christian Life & Discipleship bracket, it will be:

• The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1) vs. Celebration of Disciplineship by Richard Foster (6)

Vote for your favorite on Facebook!