Over 1 Million Copies Sold!

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

For over fifty years, Knowing God by J.I. Packer has helped Christians around the world discover the wonder, the glory, and the joy of knowing God. This timeless work invites readers to explore the profound joy of both knowing about God and knowing Him personally through a close relationship with Jesus Christ.

Drawing from Packer's rich theological insight, Knowing God blends deep spiritual truths with practical guidance, helping believers renew their understanding of God's character and His faithful love. Named one of the top fifty books that have shaped evangelicals by Christianity Today, this inspiring resource bridges head knowledge and heartfelt devotion, making it a must-read for those yearning to deepen their spiritual walk.

Pair this enduring classic with its companion resources available from IVP, including the Knowing God Bible Study, Study Guide, and Devotional Journal, for a deeply enriching experience.

Knowing God features:



- Time-Tested Wisdom: Continues to guide readers for over half a century as a bestseller with over 1 million copies sold

- Spiritual Insight: Thoughtfully unpacks essential Christian truths to strengthen your faith

- Engaging Style: Combines theological depth with an accessible, practical approach.

- Award-Winning Legacy: Recognized as a foundational work for evangelical Christians

Discover the wonder and glory of truly knowing God through this classic book that continues to inspire and transform lives.

"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



Kevin J. Vanhoozer (PhD, Cambridge University) is Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He is the author of many works, including First Theology, The Drama of Doctrine and is coauthor with Daniel Treier of Theology and the Mirror of Scripture.



J. I. Packer (1926–2020) is regarded as one of the most well-known theologians of our time. Once named to Time magazine's list of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America, Packer served as Board of Governors' Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. His books include Knowing God, Praying, A Quest for Godliness, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, and Rediscovering Holiness.



Foreword by Kevin J. Vanhoozer



Preface (1993)



Preface (1973)

Part One: Know the Lord



1. The Study of God



2. The People Who Know Their God



3. Knowing and Being Known



4. The Only True God



5. God Incarnate



6. He Shall Testify

Part Two: Behold Your God!



7. God Unchanging



8. The Majesty of God



9. God Only Wise



10. God's Wisdom and Ours



11. Thy Word Is Truth



12. The Love ofGod



13. The Grace of God



14. God the Judge



15. The Wrath of God



16. Goodness and Severity



17. The Jealous God

Part Three: If God Be For Us . . .



18. The Heart of the Gospel



19. Sons of God



20. Thou Our Guide



21. These Inward Trials



22. The Adequacy of God



Appendix: Preface to the Study Guide (1975)



Notes



Scripture Index



"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 wantsus to know him."



"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."



"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."



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



"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."



"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."



"'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!"



"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."