[OBW]

StoG,

It's been too long to try to say what might qualify as the best.

But I would never rate them according the kind of "bubbling-up enjoyment" I got from them because emotions are fickle.

As for The Normal Christian Life, as I no longer have printed versions, I wanted to at least peruse the book briefly before making any (very old) comments and note that they have either left it out of the LSM online collection, or changed its name.

But I will say this for Nee's books. The ones that made it to regular Christian bookstores were mostly of the "inner life" genre. And while there is nothing entirely wrong with that phase/side of Christian thinking, it is too caught up in introspective and "spiritual" things/activities. (I put "scare quotes" around "spiritual" because I am not convinced that it is true spirituality in the Christian sense, though it surely is in the broader sense.) Sometimes it might be accurate to call them "faux spirituality" because they often have the veneer of uber spirituality while being rather thin in practical application. And since there is no such thing as a spiritual/secular divide to a true Christian, anything that has no real application to regular "secular" living is not really very spiritual. Add to it the fact that Nee was also pushing his peculiar/sectarian teachings even in those books and you have more to avoid.

As for the others — like Authority and Submission, and the Normal Christian Church — whatever might be of value in them is only found sandwiched between what should not be taken seriously, therefore of little value as a resource (unless you are studying abnormal Christian teaching).

The short version of my answer would be that (from my perspective) trying to decide which Nee/Lee books are the best is sort of like trying to decide which dangerous, illegal drug you would rather be forced to take. They all provide highs and are highly addictive, but it all comes at a severe cost. Maybe snorting a little coke might be less onerous than the almost instantly addictive effects of heroin or some of the others. But it is still nothing to desire.

Back to the books . . . .

I know this may seem over-the-top. But even if you are sure you can ferret out what is wrong in any of them, would you rather take your chances, or reject them all and find something truly worthwhile elsewhere? Another way to ask that question is, "are you sure that their teachings are safe enough risk remaining captured in their fog of garlic?" I know that the "church life" is appealing, and the people are worthy of serious consideration. But they are equally trapped circling a spiritual drain of sorts. Is it in your best interest to hang on to any of it?

I realize that I am often the most outspoken in this way. Mostly because I am certain that anything you find there that is truly of value can be found elsewhere. And it won't be hiding the same kinds of errors that it will be when it comes from Nee/Lee/the LC.

Not saying nothing else has any problems. But the nature and severity of those problems are on an entirely different plain in the LC.