One can read the important works of both authors in a matter of weeks, and come out of the experience totally transformed. I mention those two authors because they are recognized Christian classics; you cannot go wrong with them. The former is a master of logical exposition, the latter of intuitive insight and paradox. Both address the contemporary frame of mind. They know that things have to be taught, but also unlearned. Often the unlearning of our deeply cherished preconceived notions is the most challenging part of the journey home. In the following list, I will limit the entries to one work per author, to give other writers a chance. Without this limitation, Lewis and Chesterton would probably steal the list.
C. S. Lewis, Miracles.

Lewis explains that for miracles to occur something outside Nature must exist, and that “something” must be willing to intervene on the level of Nature. In the last analysis, not only must there be a God, but he must be willing to perform miracles, and Nature must be so designed as to be capable of accommodating them. “The case against miracles relies on two different grounds. You either think that the character of God excludes them or that the character of Nature excludes them”. Lewis carefully addresses both objections. Through a discussion of the concepts of Nature and Reason he shows in a brilliant analysis how Reason is independent from the system of Nature thus establishing a framework for a theistic and creationist concept of God.
He then discusses a pantheistic vision of reality and he contrasts the God of revelation with it. Can a pantheistic God be expected to perform miracles? Can Christianity do away with miracles? How important are miracles to Christianity? What do miracles teach us about the Universe? What is the logic behind Jesus’ miracles? How does the Incarnation, “the Grand Miracle”, integrate with what we already know about Nature? How does the Incarnation clarify and shed new light on our natural knowledge? Life will never be the same—after Miracles.
P. Kreeft, R. Tacelli, Handbook of Christian Apologetics.

Frank Sheed, Theology and Sanity.

I found Sheed’s introductory discussion of the concepts of “unthinkable” and “unimaginable” and of the roles that intellect and imagination play in intellectual pursuit particularly illuminating. His presentation of the Holy Trinity, of the Fall of Man and of the Mission of Christ is unparalleled. All subjects are treated rigorously but they are presented in a language accessible to the non-professional. Those who are used to seeing the faith as a make belief (like “faith makes things true by believing in them”) will be shocked at Sheed’s insistence on the use of logic and reason. And die-hard atheists might be dismayed at his claim that life without a belief in God is insanity, but they should not be. Following Sheed’s example, we have made the same claim in our opening chapter.
G. K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man.

Joseph-Marie Verlinde, L’expérience interdite.

To start with, Fr. Pacwa’s Catholics and New Age is a good introduction to the subject. If you can read French, L’expérience interdite by Fr. Joseph-Marie Verlinde is perhaps the most brilliant analysis of pantheist and Christian spiritual experiences you can read. The author’s credentials are impressive. He made a long spiritual journey, from cradle Catholicism to the very heights of Hindu mysticism, then back to Christianity, through various schools of Western Esoterism. He combines the depth of his personal spiritual experiences with a solid philosophical formation. He offers his readers unique and compelling insights and the clarity of his presentation is exemplary. Fr. Verlinde also produced many excellent audio and videotapes on the relationship of Christianity to “new religions”. They are available from his web site.
Gabriele Amorth, An Exorcist Tells His Story.

Fr. Amorth tells his story as an exorcist, but he is careful to present a composite picture that includes input from medical sciences, especially from modern psychiatry and psychology. Of particular interest is his discussion of how demonic association differs from mere mental disorders as well as his exhaustive presentation of the different forms and degrees of demonic association. The entire series of Fr. Amorth’s works, which includes two other titles, is worth consulting.
Paul Johnson, Intellectuals.

Some critics object that Johnson’s enterprise is unfair, that any man’s life, if examined with an inquisitive and critical spirit, is likely to reveal sins of weakness and malice, that Johnson’s work is therefore an exercise in partisan bashing. However, such criticism entirely misses Johnson’s stated purpose. The individuals he examines presented themselves as teachers of humanity. They used (or abused) the reputation and prestige they acquired in their fields of expertise in order to offer advice in areas far exceeding their competence. In fact, they presented themselves as secularized sages, akin to the saints and prophets of old and they expected assent on the part of the secular faithful. Of such individuals, it is right to inquire how they lived their lives with respect to their own stated principles. When you read Intellectuals, be prepared to do a lot of unlearning.