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Recommended Readling List

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:

  1. Introductory—Offers a general introduction to concepts accessible to readers with limited prior knowledge of the subject matter
  2. 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
  3. 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

  1. Reformation Study Bible (Ligonier)
  2. 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)
  3. Gerhardus Vos, Biblical Theology (Banner of Truth); Dennis Johnson, Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation (P&R)

Reformed Confessions and Catechisms

  1. Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms; Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, Canons of Dort
  2. A. A. Hodge, The Confession of Faith (Banner of Truth)
  3. Zacharius Ursinus, Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism (P&R)

Philosophy, Apologetics, and Prolegomena to Theology

  1. Diogenes Allen, Philosophy for Understanding Theology (Westminster John Knox)
  2. Cornelius Van Til, Defense of the Faith (P&R); Louis Berkhof, Introduction to Theology (Eerdmans)
  3. Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics: Prolegomena (Baker); Michael Horton, Covenant and Eschatology (Westminster John Knox)

Theology

  1. 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)
  2. Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Eerdmans); Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics (Baker)
  3. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2 vols. (Westminster John Knox)

Church History

  1. W. Robert Godfrey, Reformation Sketches (P&R)
  2. 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)
  3. 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

  1. W. Robert Godfrey, Unexpected Journey (P&R); J.I. Packer, Knowing God (IVP)
  2. Edmund Clowney, Called to the Ministry (P&R)
  3. Charles Bridges, Christian Ministry (Banner of Truth); Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students (Christian Heritage)

Preaching, Worship, and the Church

  1. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers (Zondervan)
  2. Michael Horton, A Better Way (Baker); D.G. Hart and John Muether, With Reverence and Awe (P&R)
  3. Edmund Clowney, The Church (IVP); Samuel Logan, ed., The Preacher and Preaching (P&R)

Evangelism and Missions

  1. Ernest Reisinger, Today's Evangelism: Its Message and Methods (P&R)
  2. J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (IVP)
  3. R.B. Kuyper, God-Centered Evangelism (Banner of Truth); John Piper, Let the Nations be Glad (Baker)

Christian Counseling

  1. David Powlison, Seeing With New Eyes: Counseling and the Human Condition through the Lens of Scripture (P&R)
  2. John MacArthur and Wayne Mack, Introduction to Biblical Counseling (W Publishing Group); Paul Vitz, Psychology as Religion (Eerdmans)
  3. Alfred Poirier, The Peacemaking Pastor: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Church Conflict (Baker)

Contemporary Cultural Issues

  1. J. Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism (Eerdmans); Michael Horton, Where in the World is the Church?
  2. D. G. Hart, The Lost Soul of American Protestantism; David Wells, God in the Wasteland (Eerdmans)
  3. John Piper and Wayne Grudem, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (Crossway)

Research and Writing Skills

  1. 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);
  2. 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)
  3. 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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