Christianity is a huge topic. Where do you begin first learning this rich tradition and spirituality? I’m happy to share a few tips on where to start. I have 9 years of formal academic training in Christian studies (BTh, and MDiv), 31 years of being a Christian, ordained in 2012. 15 years of Hebrew and Koine Greek language study and translation, leadership training in various ministry contexts, and experience with 5 international missionary trips.
In this blog post, I’m going to divulge several survey responses on this exact question, what to avoid, experts on the topic, and some strategies on how to go about it. After conducting research, 66 participants offered 143 places to begin.
Top 10 Answers Ranked According to Votes
The top 10 answers for where to begin learning about Christianity are:
- A Specific Book of the Bible
- Christian Books
- Translation
- Reading a Bible
- Church Resources
- Online Resources
- Prayer
- People
- Bible Reading Plan
- Examine your Own Presuppositions
Read on
Having the top 10 answers on where to begin learning about Christianity isn’t enough for most people. For instance, how do you choose the right translation (#3), Bible reading plan (#10), or people (#8)? Also, is there any order to these suggestions?
Not only will you see further advice from the survey results, what to avoid, and common strategies, but keep reading and you’ll see experts I’ve consulted too on this topic.
Research Sources and Results
As mentioned above, I’ve taken 66 survey responses to this question from Reddit and Quora search results, that were recorded over 4 years (2018-2022). From Quora, people asked, “Where should I start if I want to learn about Christianity” (7 participants) and “Being a non-Christian how do I start learning about Christianity and the Bible” ( 9 participants). However, the largest participation from Quora on this topic was “If I’m interested in learning about Jesus and Christianity but not to believe in it where should I look?” (24 responses). From Reddit, people asked, “Where should I start in learning about Christianity?” (26 responses).
From these 66 survey responses, participants offered 143 items, resources, and places to begin learning about Christianity.
Experts
In addition to the survey results, I’ve also consulted with 4 experts. These have master’s degrees in theology, 10+ years being a Christian, and have thought a lot about this question. I’ll have their advice throughout here under the title, “Expert Advice.”
Let’s start with our first Expert and then we’ll go into the top 10 answers.
Pastor Ted Ng
Where should someone begin learning about Christianity? No one begins in a vacuum in their opinion about Christianity as most of our theological thoughts are influenced by family, friends, or experience. The first and most important thing is for a person to begin seeking an encounter with God and not rely purely on their preset bias whether they come from an atheistic, agnostic, or particular Christian tradition. This desire should lead them to engage in conversation with real people and life in a community of faith. Learning about Christianity is not just an intellectual journey but a multifaceted relational, spiritual, social, and psychological one as well. The hope is that this journey will lead to the real foundational bedrock of God’s true character beyond our artificial constructs. It also helps to acknowledge the mystery that God seeks us more than we seek him.
Ted Ng, MDiv, DMin; Lead Pastor of Faith Community Christian Church, Vancouver; 40+ Years Christian; You can read more about him at: http://f3c.ca/f3c/about-us/our-pastors/
Top 10 Answers
Here are the top 10 areas to begin your journey ranked according to survey input (i.e. most frequently mentioned), with their advice. Included are also links provided to other resources.
Number 1: A Specific Book of the Bible
Based on what people said, if you want to start learning about Christianity you need to go to the Holy Book. What this does not specify is what kind. I’ll pick up on this after the table. According to the surveys, the gospels are the best place to begin.
| Item | Where? | Number of Mentions |
| Gospels | New Testament | 12 |
| Gospel of John | New Testament | 9 |
| Gospel of Luke | New Testament | 3 |
| New Testament (27 Books) | Second Major Part of Bible | 2 |
| Epistles | New Testament | 2 |
| Gospel of Matthew | New Testament | 2 |
| Acts | New Testament | 2 |
| Genesis ch. 1-11 | Old Testament or Jewish Bible | 2 |
| Romans | New Testament | 1 |
| Proverbs | Old Testament or Jewish Bible | 1 |
| Total: 36 Answers |
What people said about Number 1
12 responses were in favor of beginning with “the Gospels” referring to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Survey participants said:
- “flow well, are interesting, and will take you back into the time of Jesus of Nazareth and his ministry”
- “read it repeatedly and thoroughly until you remember his words on a daily basis.”
- Gospels are the histories of the life of Christ and the beginnings of what we call the Christian church”
Matt Mentions:
One thought I have on this is that starting with Jesus (as we’ll see from the experts) is a great place to begin. The gospels provide a story rather than a diatribe or teaching. Stories have characters, plots, intentions, conflicts and will keep your attention.
Let’s look at what Expert Daniel has to say about where to begin.
Expert Advice: Daniel Whitehead, MA, ThM and CEO
I think the best place to start is with the person of Jesus. To see his life, his actions, his claims, and to look at the fruit of his ministry revealed in the people that follow him over 2000 years later. Put simply, a way to see the work of Jesus in action today is to find a follower of his that you admire, ask them questions, and watch how they live. Relationships are always the seedbed for faith to take root.
– Daniel Whitehead, MA, ThM, and CEO of Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries. You can find their website here for further information. (Www.sanctuarymentalhealth.org)
Number 2: Christian Books
Within this section, participants offered six genres of Christian writing: Contemporary Authors, Ancient Texts, Fiction, History, Analysis books, and Devotional/Prayer. At the top of our list of Christian books, participants said the great C.S. Lewis in his writing “Mere Christianity” can prepare the way.
Some of them said regarding this book, it “Dive(s) deep into modern Christian theology” and “read three times and learning more every time.”
| Type | Number of answers | Number of books |
| Contemporary Authors | 20 | 16 |
| History | 2 | 2 |
| General | 1 | 1 |
| Fiction | 1 | 1 |
| Analysis books | 1 | 1 |
| After you read the Bible | 1 | 1 |
| Total: | 26 | 22 |
If you would like a list of the other books mentioned and where to find them, here’s another table (I have no affiliate marketing agreements):
| Title | Advice | Where to find it? |
| Any book by John Piper | “Amazing books on Christian spirituality” | Click here. |
| “The Jesus I Never Knew” by Philip Yancey | “A good place to start.” | Click here. |
| Any book by N.T. Wright esp. “Simply Jesus” and “Simply Good News.” | NT Wright is a true delight. I think Tim Keller is a little easier to get into, but a number of NT Wright books are quite suitable for public consumption. | Click here |
| “The Brothers Karamazov” by Fyodor Dostoevsky | the most boring religious people are those whose thought is fed only by non-fiction. | Click here |
| St. Gregory of Nyssa’s “Life of Moses | But I recommend these texts as helpers to guide you in the Christian life, not just distractions to read and ignore applying what they say into your life concretely. | Click here |
| On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius | Same as above | Click here |
Matt Mentions:
From my own experience, “Mere Christianity” is a classic written with sophistication on the topics of evil, faith, and what believing christianly means in the 20th century. In terms of reading level, it can be at a more philosophical level, and with Lewis’ prose, you may find yourself reading the same lines more than once.
Personally, I think it’s not a bad strategy to read a Christian book of interest alongside the Bible, as theologians and historians of the faith can quickly provide interpretation and context to holy writ quickly.
My top recommendation here is to go with N.T. Wright online. I met him during a book signing and he was as warm-hearted as he was charming. He’s the leading scholar on Paul and the New Testament. He communicates clearly with wit and thoroughness.
Number 3: Translation
In finishing our top 3, participants talked about the value of a good translation. Logically, in some ways, it makes more sense to start with the translation before purchasing a Bible. Most decided to go with the ESV English Standard Version) or NKJV (New King James Version) which are considered “formal equivalent” translations. This type of translation category used to be called “literal” or even “Formal literal.”
The basic idea is, the ESV, NKJV, and others try to translate word for word in the English language. The next category is called, “dynamic equivalent” like the New International Version (NIV). These sit somewhere between a paraphrase and a formal equivalent.
Participants, after the ESV and NKJV, emphasized the value of paraphrases, like the (NLT New Living Translation).
| Translation | Comment | # | Where |
| English Standard Version (ESV) | Easier to read than the KJV | 3 | Click here |
| NKJV | Easier to read than the King James Version | 3 | Click here |
| New Living Translation | No comment | 2 | Click here |
| NASB | Catholics use it a lot; more on the literal end | 1 | Click here |
| KJV – Red-letter addition | “More truth in the King James” | 2 | Click here |
| Any Modern Translation | Avoid KJV 1611 | 1 | Click here to see a list |
| Amplified | “Spells out what keywords mean in parentheses right after they are used in the text | 1 | Click here |
| Young’s Literal Translation | No Comment | 1 | Click here |
Matt Mentions:
Suggestion: Click here for a free online resource where you can see multiple translations at once through the “parallel” tool. Choose two or three and start there. ESV, NIV, and Message.
Take lightly: Take the suggestions in the Amplified bible lightly. Many times they suggest a series of word possibilities, however, watch out. They could be in danger of committing what Dr. D.A. Carson and Professor Philip Long have called, “indiscriminate totality transfer.” It’s a logical fallacy where you apply one meaning of a word to all areas. For instance, a “hot dog” (an animal whose hot) is not the same as a “hot dog” (the one you eat). The word “love” in the context of “I love to eat hot dogs” is not the same as the word “love” in a relational context, i.e. “I love cars” does not mean “I love to eat cars.” Amphilied Bible will use words like that sometimes.
Avoid: I don’t recommend starting with the King James Version of 1611. It doesn’t take into account the new information we have from Qumran scrolls. Often people think it “feels” more holy (is that feeling?) because of the poetic language. Avoid people who think one version is more of God’s word than others.
If they’re going to argue that, then maybe they should just read Hebrew and Greek. That’s much more “God’s word” in their argument than a particular version.
You don’t need Hebrew and Greek to get started. Just access to a good translation, as I and others recommend above.
Number 4: Studying a Bible
Next on our list people recommended studying the Bible.
Here’s what they said:
- “Study the Bible, seek the scriptures, some things won’t make sense and that’s ok”
- “Start at the source and move on from there. Also, do not skip the OT, it goes part and parcel with the NT and gives a lot of context missing from the NT.”
- “You can even study the bible, the primary source, to understand the essence of Christianity as an objective scholar.”
- “Re-reading the Bible over and over again”
Matt Mentions:
In some ways, we could put this one under Number 1: Reading a Section of the Bible, but there was significant mention of this one that seemed to stand on its own. Having a decent Study Bible might be a choice. If you are interested in the history of the text I might suggest the beautiful Archaeological Study Bible. It’s a little pricey, but it covers history, culture, ancient peoples, texts, and artifacts all in one place. If you’re more interested in the interpretation and meaning of a particular text I might suggest the ESV Study Bible. It serves as a good basis and commentary for anywhere in the Bible.
But with all of this, we can’t forget what Expert Alex Cook reminds us of, always begin with the life and work of Jesus.
Expert Advice: Alex Cook, MDiv, 18 years as a Christian
“I think the best place to begin learning about Christianity is by taking a good look at the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, as is proclaimed in Scripture. A proper understanding of this must be processed in light of God’s great narrative as told in the entirety of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. This said one can only truly step into another story by first taking an equally hard look at their own story as they can’t help but look out through their own lens. Finally, such a venture is bound to fail if not done with others—we need to process such things in a community where we can process our doubts and be challenged by others.”
Alex Cook, MATS – New Testament Concentration; Vocation: Stay-at-home dad; 18 years as a Christian
Number 5: Church Resources
With 11 responses, the Church community as a starting place comes in number 5. Seven answers were devoted to “attending a church service or study group.”
Here’s what they said about that:
- “Best church is not necessarily the one closest to your house but to closest to the bible. Renata Nesio says.”
- “The Christian church and find out what the approved interpretations/understandings of the bible are.”
Others said a particular ritual in during “Catholic Mass” is a good place to start:
- “At the Last Supper, the night before the day Jesus Christ died, he gave us a way to remember him: the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the pinnacle of Christian life, communal church living, and worship.”
- “I would heavily recommend that this Saturday night you attend an Easter Mass. Or one on Sunday morning would be great too, which ever you prefer. Because it is in the Mass that we take part in the on going sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The first part of the Church service has Bible read for you, taught to you, and prayers will be said before the faith Catholic Christians take the Eucharist.”
Finally, some offered their specific Christian denomination to start off:
| Type | Advice | # |
| Lutheran Church (LCMS or AALC) | No Comment | 1 |
| Orthodox Church | Because they have taught the same material since the beginning whereas the roman and protestant churches have changed multiple times. | 1 |
| Local Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist | You will be able to find a range of leaflets on all aspects of Christianity and the church may have its own library that you can use. | 1 |
Matt Mentions:
Beginning to learn about Christianity for the first time is not best doing it alone. Churches are people and communities. Each one has its own challenges and rewards. Beginning with communion may be unclear and unfulfilling at first for some, but I can definitely get behind the fact that it might very well be the climax of our community together.
Hesitation: I hesitate to say one should begin with a local unitarian congregation. Typically, Christianity is really about Jesus Christ as central in understanding God. Unitarianism I would not suggest as a starting place for that conviction since they have a much broader and more interfaith perspective.
What to look for: Try and think about some values in the process, accountability, governance. If the pastor/minister is only accountable to themselves, be very careful. Think, who will hold this person accountable other than themselves?
Let’s hear for a moment from Expert Vince Gomez on the value of community among other suggestions.
Expert Advice: Vince Gomez, Christian for 39 years and Minister
I had to give this question some thought, I would always guide people to read the Gospel of John Because it’s the simplest and easiest to read and understand. But you need a mentor, someone to show you, Christ. Seek out someone whose light shines brighter than the words they speak. I have learned more about Christianity about being around men and women who are about the father’s business. 2nd Timothy 2:2 tells us to find trustworthy people who are able to pass on the teachings of Christ.
Apostle Vince Gomez Overseer of Star David Los Banos California and Star of David Hayward California
Number 6: Online Resources
Excitingly, the online resources each year get better and better. Below are some excellent resources participants offered. See table and links for where to begin. (Again, I have no affiliates with them, just presenting the research with some thoughts)
Online Resources Table
| Type | Name | Comment | Where to find it? |
| Yale online Courses | “Introduction to the New Testament History and Literature” “Introduction to the old testament (Hebrew Bible)” | No comment; suggested by 4 people | First course Second course |
| Stanford online courses | the Historical Jesus by Thomas Sheehand | n/a | Click here |
| Great Courses | Bible (General) | n/a | Click Here |
| Online Speakers | John Shelby SpongJohnDominic CrossanMarcus BorgBart Ehrman | A lot of information and little to no pressure | Google any which one |
| Online Preachers and Sermons | Joyce Meyer, Tony Evans, Bishop Clarence McClendon, Charles Stanley, Andy Stanley, Chip Ingram, and Bayless Conley, Billy Graham | Tune into each one and see if any of them appeal to you and have a message for you. | Just add “sermon” to each name in a google search |
| Online Bible Teacher | Dr. J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible Series | One of my favs is listening to this Bible study. You can jump in anywhere, he teaches all the way thru. It is all free, and the app is quite good.www.ttb.org Get on the Bible Bus! | Click here |
| Online Bible Course | Alpha Course | Hi, may I suggest that you sign up for the Alpha course in a church near you. It is a series of small group sessions that explore the basics of Christianity, and you can ask any questions you have. | Click Here |
Matt Mentions
With this resource, the first three suggestions are much more academic in nature. Online courses taught at Stanford, Yale, and through “Great Courses” will generally lean towards a strong view of the Bible as “literature, poetry, good writing, and historical art,” and will not emphasize the teaching that the Christian Bible is “god-breathed, authoritative, infallible” and (depending on your view) inerrant.
With the fourth suggestion “Online Speakers” the survey there indicates speakers who are more in favor of the “Jesus Seminar” or “2nd Wave of Historical Jesus” which say Jesus as a historical figure whose later disciples added his divine nature much later. In contrast, others believed starting with the fifth category “Online Preachers and Sermons” by those who hold both to Jesus divinity and historical nature – albeit perhaps less focused on his historical context and more on personal application (i.e. Joyce Meyer or Billy Graham and the need to “be saved”).
The Alpha course is more interested in providing a reflective context for groups where people who have all types of experience with Christianity can ask honest questions and explore.
Number 7: Prayer
Perhaps this is where I would begin, since you don’t even need a Bible (Number 1), to start learning about Christianity. Ranking at number 7 with eleven votes is prayer.
| Type of Prayer | Advice | Number |
| Start with God the FatherAsk God directly | Just talk with God and he will answer | 3 |
| Pray for illumination of the Holy Spirit | And that he reveal himself to you | 3 |
| Pray that God opens up your heart to understanding and help you to apply what he teaches to your life | n/a | 1 |
| Pray for strength and endurance and patience, most of all love | n/a | 1 |
| Prayer to God as a conversation | n/a | 1 |
| Prayer for wisdom and guidance | n/a | 1 |
| Pray for god to lead you to a relatable local church | So you can make Christian friendship and learn | 1 |
Matt Mentions:
In some ways beginning a journey with Christianity with reading and study is a lot like asking someone to learn about romance and love at a distance first. At some point, you just need to jump into the wild adventure and risk knowing someone who could both enrich your life with intense emotion or break your heart.
I knew a minister who once said something provocative.
He was listening to a number of clinical researchers talk all about prayer and staff using it amidst burnout in the healthcare setting.
After nearly an hour of sharing dry calculated data on the topic, he said,
“Prayer is a lot like sex. It’s better just to do it than to talk about it.”
United Church Minister
Provided it’s with the right person. We often talk about it, think about it, maybe even hear others preach about it, but at some point, you just gotta do it.
Starting at the beginning with prayer is cheap, relational, easy, and if you trust the process, I believe God will reach out to you and make this journey really interesting.
Number 8: People
Kinda like number 7, people can be risky and we usually put this one off till we have to. But starting with People is a great choice because they’re often filled with experience and knowledge on the topic. Ranking at number 8 with six votes is “People.”
People Table with Voter’s Advice
| Type | People | Advice |
| Ancient Christians | Polycarp | One of the first Christians to die |
| Christian People | Pastor or Priest in your local area | |
| Non-Christian People | An Atheist | I know it sounds contradictory, but I know plenty of atheists who have read the Bible in its entirety and can give you information on the subject while providing a solid argument against its claims as well. It’s kinda cool that way. |
| Other Theologians and Bible Expositors | David E. AuneDavid E. Garland David HubbardFrank E Gaebelein Geoffrey W. GroganGrant R Jeffrey Hal LindseyJack Van ImpeKen JohnsonLes FeldickR.C. Sproul Renald Showers Ron Rhodes Steve CioccolantiTim LaHaye (15) |
Matt Mentions:
I’m a big believer in going back to the original sources as much as possible. The challenge here with Polycarp is as the reader, you’re missing an entire social and historical context. You may want to reach out to a local pastor, or a friend who you know is a Christian. Thinking critically but keeping a relationship with them. As you develop questions, write them down and see what their answers are.
A personal favorite I always got a lot out of was R.C. Sproul. While he speaks for a more intellectual audience, he has a way of asking questions you had in your mind. For a number of great topics see the following link and click here.
Expert Advice: Ev Lyn Tan, Missionary for 15 Years
Since learning about Christianity is very much a journey, it’s good to find fellow pilgrims – a community that you can explore and bring your questions to explore together in. I would recommend reading one of the gospels in the Bible. I suggest reading the gospel of John and simply be thinking through who is Jesus and how can I respond to Him and His invitation.
Ev lyn Tan, Christian for 20 years and Missionar for 15
Number 9: Have a Bible Reading Plan
If our participants answered number 1 is starting with a particular section of the Bible then it only makes sense you would need a plan. As Yogi Berra once said,
“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”
The Bible is a large library, not a book, but full of a series of books. I’ve been reading the Bible for nearly 31 years and I change my strategy often. Perhaps what’s most helpful is planning to read it with others.
If you do want to read it on your own, here are some pdfs you can print out. Click the link and print it out. Enjoy.
- For reading the Bible Daily
- For reading the Bible in 1 year (ambitious)
- Chronological order (for those that want to read historically)
- Daily Light on the Daily Path (If you are looking for readings for the morning and complimentary one’s for the evening
- Read through the New Testament in 6 months (paced)
- 150 days of reading the Psalms (Poetic, artistic orientated)
- A Proverb a Day (For those seeking wisdom)
- 30 Days in the New Testament (Really Ambitious)
This list was brought to you by Crossway. If you’d like further advice on “Best Bible Reading Plans” check out this link with 14 Reading plans.
Number 10: Examine your Own Presuppositions
Ranking in at 10 with 3 votes and two pieces of advice, presuppositions can be a great way to start learning about Christianity.
I might suggest this along with prayer since again you don’t need to talk with others, buy a bible or pay for an expensive online course. Just write down some of your motivations for starting.
Here’s what they said:
Motivation Table
| Type | Examples | Advice |
| Look at your own Motivations | Examine your motives and ask what lead you to Christianity | n/a |
| Perspective and Approach | Christianity as a Journey; | Keep an open mind; |
| Perspective and Approach | Christianity is salvation from sin and Jesus helps us go to heaven by giving us his righteousness. | You’re not saved by your own merits |
Others With 3 Votes or Less
With 3 or fewer votes we come to the finish line! These last three answers had the fewest votes. The first two, in my humble opinion, are a fantastic way to begin because of their artistic ability to draw us into feeling and transcendence. See more below!
Movies and Film
Participants offered these films on youtube (free)
| Type | Movie | Click to watch! |
| Gospel Movie | The Gospel of John 2003 | Click here |
| Gospel Movie | The Book of Matthew | Click here |
| New Testament Movie | The Acts of the Apostles | Click here |
Nature and Creation
My personal favourite and makes sense with what you read about God and his relationship with Creation. This was one of my top choices combined with prayer and examining your motivations. Awe, transcendence, and renewal are all in God’s good world. Perhaps one challenge when beginning with nature is that it doesn’t easily provide an interpretation for you to understand why it exists against the backdrop of other stories of why we’re here (e.g. evolution).
You may be interested in Celtic Spirituality with its dependence on nature for devotion to God.
A Doctrine or Right Belief
Last but perhaps not least, surveys indicated that having the “right belief” or good “doctrine” should be a place to begin learning about Christianity. See their recommendations below
| Title | Advice | Where? |
| Luther’s Small Catechism | Simply written synopsis of Christianity | Click here for Free copy |
| Book of Concord | Something that has heavier contributions and thought | Click here for free copy |
| Any Catechism | Contains Church’s synthesized teaching | Click here for search results of pdf links |
What to Avoid Per Survey Responses
| Avoid This | Why? | Number |
| Relying on people | Qualifier – rely on the history of the church | 1 |
| Don’t be influenced by pseudo-scholars | Investigate by yourself | 1 |
| Avoid Bart Ehrman | Treat it like the lord of the Rings. | 1 |
| Talking to A Christian | n/a | 1 |
| Wait/avoid the book of revelation | n/a | 1 |
Conclusion
Whatever you begin learning about Christianity, start with what’s in front of you. Like music, romance, or any art, it’s best to jump in and explore. Keep a light-heartedness with what you hear and engage with an open heart, clear mind, and quick hands (try to apply what you learn when you learn it). Even after 30 years of being a Christian I’m still learning and finding out facts about this faith that surprise me. May you find a rich journey ahead toward a spiritually healthy you.
