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Knowing God Paperback – Special Edition, October 3, 2023

4.8 out of 5 stars 231 ratings

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Experience J. I. Packer's Classic Resource for Deepening Your Christian Walk

For half a century, J. I. Packer's classic has helped Christians around the world discover the wonder, the glory, and the joy of knowing God.

Stemming from Packer's profound theological knowledge, Knowing God brings together two key facets of the Christian faith―knowing about God and knowing God through a close relationship with Jesus Christ. Written in an engaging and practical tone, this thought-provoking work seeks to renew and enrich our understanding of God.

Knowing God was named by Christianity Today as one of the top fifty books that have shaped evangelicals. Along with Knowing God, you'll find a host of resources to deepen your experience:

  • Knowing God Bible study
  • Knowing God Study Guide
  • Knowing God Devotional Journal
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The text "Celebrate 50 Years of Knowing God" on a blue background
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'Knowing God' by J. I. Packer

"The glory of God was the motivation of everything Packer did. Knowing God matters because if we do not know God, we cannot glorify him. And glorifying God is why there is something rather than nothing, and why we are all here.

To know God is to relate to the Creator of all things as one's loving Father. I don't think Packer ever recovered from this literally earth-shattering knowledge—namely, that the old world is passing away (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 2:17; Revelation 21:1), because in Christ and through the Spirit the Lord is making all things new. The chapter on adoption is, not surprisingly, one of the highlights of the book you are about to read. As you come to know God better through reading this book, then, remember that God knows you by name as his beloved son or daughter. So: start reading Knowing God, open your windows and prepare to be blown away."-From the foreword by Kevin J. Vanhoozer

Praise for 'Knowing God'

Praise from Jen Wilken about Knowing God

Praise from Irwyn L. Ince Jr. about Knowing God

Praise from Jarvis J. Williams about Knowing God

A REMARKABLE LIFE OF KNOWING GOD

J. I. Packer (1926–2020) is regarded as one of the most well-known theologians and influential evangelicals of our time. Once named to Time magazine's list of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America, Packer wrote what many consider the definitive classic evangelical book of the twentieth century, Knowing God, which has sold more than one million copies in North America alone.

As the author of forty-seven books, Packer's prolific work has impacted countless pastors, thought leaders, theologians, and authors. He preached and lectured widely in Great Britain and North America and served as general editor of the English Standard Version of the Bible published in 2001, and as theological editor of the Study Bible version. When Christianity Today conducted a survey to determine the top 50 books that have shaped evangelicals, Packer's book Knowing God came in fifth. In 2014, Packer was named Author of the Year by the Association of Logos Bookstores.

Knowing God - hardcover
Knowing God - paperback
Knowing God Bible Study
Knowing God Devotional Journal
Knowing God Study Guide
Customer Reviews
4.8 out of 5 stars 231
4.8 out of 5 stars 231
4.6 out of 5 stars 68
4.2 out of 5 stars 28
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Description: J. I. Packer's classic, available in hardback, has been an important tool to help Christians around the world discover the wonder, the glory and the joy of knowing God. Includes study guide. J. I. Packer's classic, available in paperback These five easy-to-use studies explore the character and actions of God throughout Scripture. They encourage us to look for God every time we read the Bible and to deepen our understanding, trust, and worship in response. Discover the riches of the character of God in this special devotional that reveals the wonder, glory and joy of knowing God. The daily reading includes Scripture, a suggestion for action or reflection, and space to journal or write out your prayers. Individuals & small groups can stretch their understanding & can see God more clearly through rich and transforming discussions. This guide takes readers through twenty-two studies, one for each chapter of the book.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"To read Knowing God is to experience the reality of God, not simply the reality of J. I. Packer."

-- Kevin J. Vanhoozer, research professor of systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, from the foreword

"I don't often endorse a book this way, but I will for Knowing God. If there is one book that every single Christian should read alongside the Bible, it is this book. Filled with theological beauty that lives where we all live, this book will cause you to love your Lord more earnestly, to worship him more deeply, and to serve him more joyfully. This book is so rich, you shouldn't read it just once but over and over again."

-- Paul David Tripp, author of New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional

"Jesus Christ taught that eternal life is knowing God (John 17:3). This book by J. I. Packer helps us to do just that. Short chapters (originally magazine articles) are arranged to draw us to study more closely various aspects of God's nature and character. What could be more edifying? Over the last fifty years, I have found countless people who have been informed, encouraged, and brought to worship by the pages of this book. I know I have been and pray that you will be too."

-- Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church

"There are very few books that communicate such glorious truth―and communicate it as succinctly and as well―as Knowing God. Through Packer's penetrating mind and gifted pen, the majesty of God and the wonder of the gospel shine through on every page. Easily one of the most influential books of the last half century."

-- Kevin DeYoung, senior pastor of Christ Covenant Church and associate professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte

"Knowing God is one of the best books I have ever read. And J. I. Packer is one of the best thinkers I have ever known. If a great book combines a great topic with a great writer, then Knowing God is truly great. So much in our world today is second-rate, but this book is a treasure we can enjoy deeply―and because of it, know God better!"

-- Ray Ortlund, president of Renewal Ministries

"A hundred years from now only a handful of books written today will still be widely read and accepted as Christian classics. Dr. James I. Packer's Knowing God may well prove to be one of them. A gifted theologian and writer, Dr. Packer has the rare ability to deal with profound and basic spiritual truths in a practical and highly readable way. This book will help every reader grasp in a fuller way one of the Bible's greatest truths: that we can know God personally because God wants us to know him."

-- Billy Graham

"The books and essays Dr. Packer has written could fill shelves, but he is still known best for his fine work in Knowing God. Others may have followed with books about desiring, loving, serving, or seeking God, but Dr. Packer's volume says it simply, says it best."

-- Joni Eareckson Tada

"Knowing God is must reading for any Christian who is serious about their faith. While it is theology, it is practical, and while it is profound, it is easy reading. I highly recommend it."

-- John Perkins

"I first read the book in 1977 in what was then the ninth American printing. I was discipled by that book before I knew what discipleship was! As I reread it recently, I was embarrassed by all the ideas I kept coming upon that I thought were mine. Then I realized that through his book Packer had made them mine. It dawned on me that bad books try to tell us what to think, while good books help us to think. But truly good books shape the way we think. That's what this book did for me. There isn't a song I've written that hasn't been impacted by the point of view in this book. Knowing God not only points to the door, it provides the key, helps us open it and prepares us for the One we shall discover waiting for us on the other side. In his book Packer rescues us from the 'private religious hunches' of our theologically fickle age, from the 'gigantic conspiracy of misdirection' that would rob us of the deep, simple joy of knowing God."

-- Michael Card

"'Those who know God have great contentment in God.' It is no wonder so many are so discontented! They don't know God. Oh if only they would use Knowing God as a devotional study. It would create such a thirst for more of God that they would keep on coming to him in his Word and drinking of him. This book is the classic God used to launch me into a study of the sovereignty of God. I'll never be the same!"

-- Kay Arthur

"For years I have been asked to list the top twenty Christian books I have read. Knowing God has been on that list since the mid-1970s. This volume is Packer at his very best."

-- Chuck Swindoll

"Here is a theologian who puts the hay where the sheep can reach it―plainly shows us ordinary folks what it means to know God."

-- Elisabeth Elliot

"As long as I am able to read, I hope to read Knowing God by James I. Packer each year. It is so basic, scholarly, warm and reverent, I wonder how I managed without it for so long."

-- Stuart Briscoe

"[Packer's] style is succinct, vivid, and epigrammatic. His perspective is mind stretching, as he surveys the whole biblical scene. And the truth he handles fires the heart. At least it fired mine and compelled me to turn aside to worship and to pray."

-- John R. W. Stott

"The thing that makes Dr. Packer's writing so vital, practical, and credible is that the man lives what he writes. Knowing God is the work of a man who does―know him; and which makes us want to know him, too―and shows us how."

-- Jack Hayford

"If I can't put the Bible on this list, I'll choose a Packer book instead. Every national and world leader must seek to know the nations and world in which they serve. And in order to know this world and its people, we must first know the God who shaped and molded us all. Packer simply and powerfully re-introduces us to God: his attributes, actions, and, most important, his grace."

-- Joshua DuBois, "My Top Five," Christianity Today, September 2014

"Few writings deserve to be called 'Christian classics,' but this is surely one of them. With the heart of a pastor, the understanding of a theologian, and the passion of a prophet, J. I. Packer brings the reader face to face with the living God."

-- Chuck Colson

"Knowing God is a masterpiece by a master theologian. It serves as a wake-up call for those who are asleep to the majesty of God."

-- R. C. Sproul

"If any work of Christian literature deserves the title of 'contemporary classic,' I believe that J. I. Packer's Knowing God qualifies for that distinction. It is my hope that this edition will introduce many new readers to the spiritual depth, the wisdom, and the abiding faith of this great scholar. He has discovered and shares with the reader the secret that knowing God's Word is the most direct route to knowing God."

-- D. James Kennedy

"This book is strong meat. To read and digest it is an experience no discerning reader is likely to forget."

-- Church Times

"To keep any splendid book in print is a worthy project. Keeping Dr. Packer's classic, Knowing God, alive is reason to celebrate. The people of God will be superbly served by this wonderful gift. I congratulate InterVarsity Press."

-- Lewis Smedes

"I have never come across a book that expressed and extolled quite so well the mightiness of God and placed in good perspective the attributes of God and their relevance to our own living. As you read the book the fact that you're a child of God thrills you."

-- Alliance Witness

"Week by week and day by day, Packer gives advice that is sure to motivate and inspire readers to reach for more in their quest to unite with God. A fine read for any devoted Christian."

-- James A. Cox, Library Bookwatch

"As I reflect on the fiftieth anniversary of J. I. Packer's Knowing God, I ask, How has this book remained relevant through a half century? Two connected thoughts are at the front of my mind. Theology is the application of God's word by people to every area of life. This book is no dry, heady treatise; it is the epitome of theology applied to life. Second, knowing God is the whole point of God's revelation and our existence. There are few works outside Holy Scripture that draw our affections into this truth more than Knowing God. May the Lord bless this generation to love him more deeply by reading these pages."

-- Irwyn L. Ince Jr., author of The Beautiful Community: Unity, Diversity, and the Church at Its Best

"I first encountered J. I. Packer's Knowing God as a young Christian many years ago. As numerous generations have read this book, it has helped Christians hungry to know God to learn how―by growing in their walk with Jesus Christ. This fiftieth anniversary edition of Dr. Packer's classic book will help the next generation of Christians grasp what it means to know God."

-- Jarvis J. Williams, associate professor of New Testament interpretation at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

"I was four years old when J. I. Packer wrote Knowing God. Fifty years later, it is abundantly clear that he heeded the call to commend God's mighty acts from one generation to the next. To revisit this book (or to read it for the first time) is to recognize its influence over countless Christian thinkers, preachers, teachers, and writers―a generation who stood at a crossroads and followed Packer's call to walk the ancient paths. He offered nothing new or novel, but a well-trodden way worn clear by the feet of the faithful who came before. In Knowing God, he restored to us a much-needed and transforming vision of God high and lifted up. I am a direct beneficiary of this good guide, and I pray it will endure as a signpost for generations to come."

-- Jen Wilkin, Bible teacher and author of Women of the Word

Review

"I was four years old when J. I. Packer wrote Knowing God. Fifty years later, it is abundantly clear that he heeded the call to commend God's mighty acts from one generation to the next. To revisit this book (or to read it for the first time) is to recognize its influence over countless Christian thinkers, preachers, teachers, and writers―a generation who stood at a crossroads and followed Packer's call to walk the ancient paths. He offered nothing new or novel, but a well-trodden way worn clear by the feet of the faithful who came before. In Knowing God, he restored to us a much-needed and transforming vision of God high and lifted up. I am a direct beneficiary of this good guide, and I pray it will endure as a signpost for generations to come."

-- Jen Wilkin, Bible teacher and author of Women of the Word

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ IVP; Special Edition, 50th Anniversary (October 3, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1514007762
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1514007761
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 out of 5 stars 231 ratings

About the author

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Kevin J. Vanhoozer
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Kevin J. Vanhoozer (Ph.D., Cambridge University) is currently Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Previously he was Blanchard Professor of Theology at the Wheaton College Graduate School and Senior Lecturer in Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland (1990-98).

He is the author or editor of twenty books, including The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology (Westminster John Knox, 2005 - named best theology book of 2006 by Christianity Today), Remythologizing Theology: Divine Action, Passion, and Authorship (Cambridge University Press, 2010) and, most recently, Mere Christian Hermeneutics: Transfiguring What it Means to Read the Bible Theologically (Zondervan, 2024 – named best academic theology book of 2024 by Christianity Today).

In 1999 he appeared on the cover of Christianity Today as one of the six "new theologians" featured in the lead story. He is theological mentor to the Augustine Fellowship of the Center for Pastor Theologians and Senior Fellow of the C. S. Lewis Institute for Discipleship. He is married to Sylvie (author of The Art of Living in Season and The Art of Living in Advent), has two daughters, one son-in-law, and fifteen doctoral students. He is an amateur classical pianist and serious reader, and finds that music and literature help him integrate academic theology and spiritual formation.

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Customers find the book provides wonderful ways to explore God's truths, with one noting it's a must-read for growing Christians. Moreover, the writing is amazing and understandable, with one customer highlighting the author's spot-on understanding of scripture. Additionally, they appreciate the cover quality, with one describing it as beautiful inside and out.

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10 customers mention "Insight"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides wonderful ways to explore the truths of God, with one customer noting it offers great wisdom in explaining God's word, while another mentions it's a must-read for growing Christians.

"...The language is Rich. The understanding is mature. The inside is Wise...." Read more

"...All you need to do is open your hearts while reading and let the Spirit guide the way. Blessings await all who embark on this journey!!" Read more

"this was a required read and man I get why. def a must read book for a growing Christian" Read more

"...reading this book a while back, and it is just amazing for understanding the God we worship...." Read more

10 customers mention "Language"7 positive3 negative

Customers find the language of the book amazing and understandable, with one customer noting the author's spot-on understanding of scripture.

"...I would highly recommend this to anyone. The language is Rich. The understanding is mature. The inside is Wise...." Read more

"...The autho's (J.I. Packer) contemporary writing style is engaging and understandable...." Read more

"Fabulous book and author is spot on with his understanding of scripture!" Read more

"Easy to understand and gets right to the point. Highly recommend for people who are curious and seasoned Christians." Read more

4 customers mention "Cover quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers like the book's cover, with one mentioning it's beautiful inside and out, and another noting it's the 50th anniversary edition cover.

"...It’s an absolutely beautiful book." Read more

"...I love the 50th anniversary edition cover. This book is beautiful inside and out." Read more

"...The book as an object is very nice, nice cover, paper, font size, very readable book...." Read more

"Beautiful book..." Read more

Speak Wisdom
5 out of 5 stars
Speak Wisdom
Do you know God? Or do you simply know about God? In Knowing God, J. I. Packer presents a guide to greater understanding and genuine relating to God.Soaked in ScriptureThe book is divided into three parts: why we should know God, what God is like, and the benefits of knowing God. Each chapter reads like a concise essay to explain the beauty and wonder of what it means and what it looks like to know God.This book is filled with Scripture passages, and Packer uses them constantly when proving his points. An Index of Biblical Passages is included at the back of the book, listing references from 57 books of the Biblical canon. Packer’s understanding of both the Old and New Testaments and how they relate to each other as well as how they impact us today is astounding.Packer is PracticalAnd while Packer is speaking about God, he allows his theological thoughts to come to their practical conclusions. For instance, when speaking of the majesty of God, Packer states: “Living becomes an awesome business when you realize that you spend every moment of your life in the sight and company of an omniscient, omnipresent Creator.”IVP’s 50th Anniversary Edition is an epic 336 page hardcover. It would make the perfect Christmas present as well as a great way to begin the. new year.Difficult DoctrineWhat I found especially refreshing was how Packer does not shy away from the more difficult doctrines about God. In the middle of the book, when describing some of the attributes of God, Packer dedicates chapters to God the Judge, The Wrath of God, Goodness and Severity, and The Jealous God. Packer is fair and balanced in presenting a picture of God.And while these are harder truths, they are still relevant to us today. Packer seems almost prophetic in exhorting Christians in that the jealousy of God requires us to be zealous for God, and the jealousy of God threatens churches which are not zealous for God. Christians and churches must stand firm in our post-COVID world when hostility towards Christians is increasing.Speak WisdomTowards the end of the book, Packer speaks on the privileges of our adoption in Christ. It is the highest privilege and the basis for our life. This doctrine is a key component in Packer’s theology, and I was encouraged by his excitement.In the preface of this book, Packer states that this is a book for travelers. It seeks to eliminate ignorance of God. For those who want to know God, you go to the Bible. And with the power of the Holy Spirit, you will benefit from having Packer’s book at your side as a trusty companion and friend who knows what it’s like to actually know God. Let Packer introduce you to Him.I received a media copy of Knowing God and this is my honest review.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2024
    I rarely read a book of this caliber. I would highly recommend this to anyone. The language is Rich. The understanding is mature. The inside is Wise. I’m not sure how well this book will read to a new Christian or someone seeking the faith. It’s not that it requires a foundation of knowledge so much as it requires a truly seeking heart to hear what it’s saying. It’s an absolutely beautiful book.
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2024
    This is not a book about Christian doctrine. IF you are already a follower of Christ (whether Protestant, Catholic, or any other Christian denomination), this book will empower you to truly "Know God." The autho's (J.I. Packer) contemporary writing style is engaging and understandable. All you need to do is open your hearts while reading and let the Spirit guide the way. Blessings await all who embark on this journey!!
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2025
    this was a required read and man I get why. def a must read book for a growing Christian
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2025
    Fabulous book and author is spot on with his understanding of scripture!
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2024
    I started reading this book a while back, and it is just amazing for understanding the God we worship. Since I liked the book so much I decided to order one for my friend for her birthday. I love the 50th anniversary edition cover. This book is beautiful inside and out.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2025
    This book changed my life. Awesome insight.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2025
    If you do not believe in God, might not be what you are looking for but then again it may be exactly what you need
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2025
    Very good book