The following recommended reading list is provided by the
faculty of Westminster Seminary California for the purpose of enhancing
preparation for graduate theological studies at WSC. The list is
intended as a general guide that will expose prospective students to a
variety of ideas related to biblical, theological, historical, and
pastoral theology. Though many of the books below are required reading
for WSC courses, there are no expectations that incoming students will
have read each book prior to beginning his or her studies at WSC.The
list is divided into three levels of difficulty under each subject area:
- Introductory—Offers a general introduction to concepts
accessible to readers with limited prior knowledge of the subject
matter
- Intermediate—Provides a more challenging approach to the issues
and ideas of each topic, yet accessible to most readers with some
prior knowledge of the subject matter
- Advanced—Addresses more profound theological questions and
arguments, intended for readers with a good deal of prior knowledge
of the subject matter
Bible Content and Interpretation
- Reformation Study Bible (Ligonier)
- Edmund Clowney, The Unfolding Mystery (P&R); Dan McCartney and
Charles Clayton, Let the Reader Understand (Bridge Point); Michael
Horton, God of Promise: Introducing Covenant Theology (Baker)
- Gerhardus Vos, Biblical Theology (Banner of Truth); Dennis
Johnson, Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation (P&R)
Reformed Confessions and Catechisms
- Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms; Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, Canons of Dort
- A. A. Hodge, The Confession of Faith (Banner of Truth)
- Zacharius Ursinus, Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism (P&R)
Philosophy, Apologetics, and Prolegomena to Theology
- Diogenes Allen, Philosophy for Understanding Theology (Westminster
John Knox)
- Cornelius Van Til, Defense of the Faith (P&R); Louis Berkhof,
Introduction to Theology (Eerdmans)
- Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics: Prolegomena (Baker); Michael
Horton, Covenant and Eschatology (Westminster John Knox)
Theology
- B. B. Warfield, The Plan of Salvation (Wipf and Stock); John Murray,
Redemption Accomplished and Applied (Eerdmans); Michael Horton,
Putting
Amazing Back Into Grace (Baker)
- Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Eerdmans); Herman Bavinck,
Reformed Dogmatics (Baker)
- John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2 vols.
(Westminster John Knox)
Church History
- W. Robert Godfrey, Reformation Sketches (P&R)
- Paul Johnson, A History of Christianity (Scribner Book Co.); D. G.
Hart, Defending the Faith: J. Gresham Machen and the Crisis of
Conservative Protestantism in Modern America (P&R)
- Bengt Hagglund, History of Theology (Concordia); Philip Benedict,
Christ's Church Purely Reformed: A Social History of Calvinism
(Yale
University Press)
Spiritual Growth and Calling
- W. Robert Godfrey, Unexpected Journey (P&R); J.I. Packer,
Knowing God
(IVP)
- Edmund Clowney, Called to the Ministry (P&R)
- Charles Bridges, Christian Ministry (Banner of Truth); Charles
Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students (Christian Heritage)
Preaching, Worship, and the Church
- Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers (Zondervan)
- Michael Horton, A Better Way (Baker); D.G. Hart and John Muether,
With Reverence and Awe (P&R)
- Edmund Clowney, The Church (IVP); Samuel Logan, ed., The Preacher and
Preaching (P&R)
Evangelism and Missions
- Ernest Reisinger, Today's Evangelism: Its Message and Methods
(P&R)
- J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (IVP)
- R.B. Kuyper, God-Centered Evangelism (Banner of Truth); John Piper,
Let the Nations be Glad (Baker)
Christian Counseling
- David Powlison, Seeing With New Eyes: Counseling and the Human
Condition through the Lens of Scripture (P&R)
- John MacArthur and Wayne Mack, Introduction to Biblical Counseling
(W
Publishing Group); Paul Vitz, Psychology as Religion (Eerdmans)
- Alfred Poirier, The Peacemaking Pastor: A Biblical Guide to Resolving
Church Conflict (Baker)
Contemporary Cultural Issues
- J. Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism (Eerdmans); Michael
Horton, Where in the World is the Church?
- D. G. Hart, The Lost Soul of American Protestantism; David Wells,
God
in the Wasteland (Eerdmans)
- John Piper and Wayne Grudem, Recovering Biblical Manhood and
Womanhood (Crossway)
Research and Writing Skills
- William Strunk and E. B. White, The Elements of Style (Allyn and
Bacon); Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren, How to Read a Book (Simon
and Schuster);
- William Zinsser, On Writing Well (Quill Press) Joseph Williams,
Style: Toward Clarity and Grace (University of Chicago); Lynne Truss,
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
(Gotham)
- Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and
Dissertations (University of Chicago)
Most of these books are available at
The Bookstore at
Westminster Seminary California.
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