Reading List
Note: from Reformed Theological Seminary 29 November 2011.
Bible
- Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible
Bible Content and Interpretation
Essential Reading
- God’s Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible, Vaughan Roberts
- Reading the Bible with Heart and Mind, Tremper Longman III
- According to Plan: the Unfolding Revelation of God in in the Bible, Graeme Goldsworthy
- Playing by the Rules, Robert H. Stein
- Survey of the Bible, William Hendricksen
Further Reading
- Christ of the Covenants, O. Palmer Robertson
- He Gave Us Stories, Richard Pratt, Jr.
- Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament, Christopher Wright
- Let the Reader Understand, Dan McCartney and Charles Clayton
- The Progress of Redemption, William Van Gemeren
Advanced/Comparison Reading
- Biblical Theology, Geerhardus Vos
- Introduction to the Old Testament, Raymond Dillard and Tremper Longman III
- The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses, Vern Poythress
- Introduction to the New Testament, Carson, Moo, and Morris
- The Coming of the Kingdom, Herman Ridderbos
- New Testament History, F.F. Bruce
- Hermeneutics, Authority and Canon, Carson and Woodbridge
- Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation, ed. Moises Silva
Spiritual Growth and Calling
Essential Reading
- The Call, Os Guiness
- Called to the Ministry, Edmund Clowney
- A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, Eugene Peterson
- Confessions, St. Augustine
- Grow in Grace, Sinclair Ferguson
- Pray With Your Eyes Open, Richard Pratt, Jr.
- If God Already Knows, Why Pray?, Douglas Kelly
- Born Free, Steve Brown
- The Lord’s Prayer, Derek Thomas
Further Reading
- Studying Theology As A Servant of Jesus, John Frame
- The Godly Man’s Picture, Thomas Watson
- The Disciplines of Grace, Jerry Bridges
- The Way of Life, Charles Hodge
- Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan
- The Ascent Psalms, Derek Thomas
- Cry of the Soul, Dan Allender
- The Pleasures of God, John Piper
Advanced/Comparison Reading
- Holiness, J.C. Ryle
- The Religious Life of Theological Students , B.B. Warfield
- An Introduction to Theological Studies, William Cunningham
- Finding the Will of God, Bruce Waltke
- Decision Making and the Will of God, Garry Friesen
- The Enemy Within and Through the Looking Glass, Chris Lundgaard
- A Resilient Life, Gordon MacDonald
- The Devoted Life, Kelly Kapic and Randall Gleason
Systematic Theology
Advanced/Comparison Reading
Philosophy and Christian Thought
Essential Reading
- Building a Christian World View (Vol. 1-2), W. Andrew Hoffecker and Gary Scott Smith
- Sophie’s World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy, Jostein Gaarder
- The Christian Mind, Harry Blamires
- The Universe Next Door, James Sire
- World Views in Conflict, Ronald Nash
- God and the Philosophers: The Reconciliation fo Faith and Reason, Thomas V. Morris
Further Reading
- The Gravedigger File, Os Guiness and Nick Butterworth
- Longing to Know, Esther Meek
- The Way of the World, Craig Gay
Advanced/Comparison Reading
- The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Thomas Kuhn
- Reason Within the Bounds of Religion, N. Wolterstorff
- Ideas Have Consequences, Richard Weaver
- Lectures on Calvinism, Abraham Kuyper
Church History
Essential Reading
- Church History in Plain Language, Bruce Shelley
- Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity, Mark Noll
- Church History, Volume 1: From Christ to Pre-Reformation, Everett Ferguson
- A Religious History of the American People, Sydney Ahlstrom
- The Story of Christian Theology, Roger Olson
- Historical Theology, Alister McGrath
Further Reading
- Augustine of Hippo, Peter Brown
- The Thought of Thomas Aquinus, Brian Davies
- Luther, Heiko Oberman
- Calvin: A Biography, Bernard Cottret
- Jonathan Edwards: A Life, George Marsden
Advanced/Comparison Reading
- The Early Church, Henry Chadwick
- Early Christian Doctrines, J.N.D. Kelly
- Christianity and Western Thought, Volume 1, Colin Brown
- Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages, R.W. Southern
- The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine (5 vols.), Jaroslav Pelikan
- The Medieval Theologians, G.R. Evans
- A World History of Christianity, Adrain Hastings
Contemporary Western Culture
Essential Reading
- Engaging God’s World, Cornelius Plantinga
- Christ and Culture, H. Richard Niebuhr
- No Place for Truth, David Wells
Further Reading
- Culture Wars, James D. Hunter
- Resident Aliens, Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon
- A Primer on Postmodernism, Stanlye Grenz
- Postmodern Times, Gene Veith
- Pop Culture Wars, William Romanowski
- Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, Mark Noll
- The Struggle for America’s Soul, Robert Wuthnow
Advanced/Comparison Reading
- The Culture of Interpretation, Roger Lundin
- Total Truth, Nancy Pearsey
- The Sensate Culture, Harold O.J. Brown
Apologetics
Essential Reading
- Every Thought Captive, Richard Pratt, Jr.
- God in the Dock, C.S. Lewis
Advanced/Comparison Reading
- The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God, John Frame
- Van Til: An Analysis of His Thought, John Frame
- Van Til’s Apologetic, Greg Bahnsen
- Five Views of Apologetics, ed. Steve Cowan
Missions and Evangelism
Essential Reading
- Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J.I. Packer
- Right With God, John Blanchard
- Powerful Evangelism for the Powerless, C. John Miller
- Tell the Truth, Will Metzger
Further Reading
- Let the Nations Be Glad, John Piper
- Christian Mission, John Stott
- An Introduction to the Science of Missions, J. Herman Bavink
- The Pastor-Evangelist: Preacher, Model, and Mobilizer for Church Growth, Roger Greenway
- Telling the Truth: Evangelizing Postmoderns, D.A. Carson
- The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society, Lesslie Newbigin
- Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours?, Allen Rolland
Advanced/Comparison Reading
- Perspectives on the World Christian Movevment, Ralph Winter
- Mission in the Old Testament, Walter Kaiser
- Gospel and Mission in the Writings of St. Paul, Peter T. O’Brien
- God’s Missionary People, Charles Van Engen
- A Heart for Mission: Five Pioneer Thinkers, Ron Davies
- What In the World is God Doing?, C. Gordon Olson
Task of Preaching
Essential Reading
- How To Talk So People Will Listen, Steve Brown
- The Supremacy of God in Preaching, John Piper
Further Reading
- Between Two Worlds, John Stott
- Biblical Preaching, Haddon Robinson
- Preaching with Purpose, Jay Adams
Advanced/Comparison Reading
Pastoral Ministry and Leadership
Essential Reading
- Jesus Christ Disciplemaker, William Hull
- Spiritual Leadership, J. Oswald Sanders
- Working the Angles, Eugene Peterson
Further Reading
- Shepherding God’s Flock, Jay Adams
- The Reformed Pastor, Richard Baxter
- The Work of the Pastor, William Still
Advanced/Comparison Reading
- The Christian Ministry, Charles Bridges
- The Making of a Leader, Robert Clinton
- The Unnecessary Pastor, Eugene Peterson
- Pastoral Theology, Thomas Oden
Christian Counseling
Essential Reading
- The Care of Souls, David Benner
- The Healing Path, Dan Allendar
- Inside Out, Larry Crabb
- Telling Secrets, Frederick Buechner
- Connecting, Larry Crabb
Further Reading
- Bold Love, Dan Allender and Tremper Longman III
- The Cry of the Soul, Dan Allender and Tremper Longman III
- Finding God, Larry Crabb
- The Gospel According to Job, Mike Mason
- The Sacred Romance, Brent Curtis and John Eldredge
- Sacred Thirst, M. Craig Barnes
- A Tale of Three Kings, Gene Edwards
- When God Interrupts, M. Craig Barnes
- The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen
Advanced/Comparison Reading
- Ministry in the Image of God, Stephen Seamands
- The Myth of Certainty, Daniel Taylor
- The Awakened Heart, Gerald May
- Yearning: Living Between How It Is and How It Ought to Be, M. Craig Barnes
Other Titles
Essential Reading
- Truth in All Its Glory: Commending the Reformed Faith, William Edgar
- How to Read a Book, Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren
- Chosen by God, R.C. Sproul
- Designed for Dignity, Richard Pratt, Jr.
- God Has Spoken, J.I. Packer
- The Church, Edmund Clowney
- Seeking a Better Country: 300 Years of American Presbyterianism, D.G. Hart and John R. Muether
Further Reading
- Give Praise to God, Ligon Duncan and Derek Thomas
- With One Voice: Discovering Christ’s Song in Our Worship, Reggie Kidd
- Creation and Change, Douglas Kelly
- The Bondage of the Will, Martin Luther
- Plan of Salvation, B.B. Warfield
- Created in God’s Image, Anthony Hoekema
- The Glorious Body of Christ, R.B. Kuiper