Building Library: Ancient & Modern suggestions?

[Stope]

In another thread I had great feedback on Systematic Theology recommendations, and a few other suggestions trickled in. I now feel like I have a good list for STs and Puritans, but can you guys recommend classics through the ages:

Pre Nicea, Apostolic, the fathers, Apologists, post nicea, Medieval (very curious here), Reformation era (this too seems there are many and so any help reducing to a few classics would be greatly beneficial), etc...

Thanks!

 

[RamistThomist]

In another thread I had great feedback on Systematic Theology recommendations, and a few other suggestions trickled in. I now feel like I have a good list for STs and Puritans, but can you guys recommend classics through the ages:

Pre Nicea, Apostolic, the fathers, Apologists, post nicea, Medieval (very curious here), Reformation era (this too seems there are many and so any help reducing to a few classics would be greatly beneficial), etc...

Thanks!

Pre-Nicea

1. Ignatius
2. Irenaeus
3. Tertullian (everyone quotes him but he is very problematic on many issues. Still, an important witness).
4. Origen. Heretical in many parts but a great illustration of how to answer the big questions in the wrong way.

Nicea

1. Athanasius, particularly Contra Arianos. On the Incarnation is okay but overrated. The true ontology is in CA.
2. Gregory of Naziaznus. On God and Christ.
3. Gregory of Nyssa. Great Catechism and "On Not Three Gods."
4. Basil the Great. On The Holy Spirit.
5. Cyril of Jerusalem. Catechetical Lectures

Medieval.

Eastern or Western?

1. Augustine, City of God. Deliberately including him as a medieval.
2. Bonaventure
3. Bernard.
4. Better yet, get and studiously reread O'Donovan and O'Donovan, From Irenaeus to Grotius.
5. Duns Scotus

Reformation

1. John Knox, History of the Reformation in Scotland
2. Turretin
3. Rutherford, Lex, Rex

 

[Stope]

In another thread I had great feedback on Systematic Theology recommendations, and a few other suggestions trickled in. I now feel like I have a good list for STs and Puritans, but can you guys recommend classics through the ages:

Pre Nicea, Apostolic, the fathers, Apologists, post nicea, Medieval (very curious here), Reformation era (this too seems there are many and so any help reducing to a few classics would be greatly beneficial), etc...

Thanks!

Pre-Nicea

1. Ignatius
2. Irenaeus
3. Tertullian (everyone quotes him but he is very problematic on many issues. Still, an important witness).
4. Origen. Heretical in many parts but a great illustration of how to answer the big questions in the wrong way.

Nicea

1. Athanasius, particularly Contra Arianos. On the Incarnation is okay but overrated. The true ontology is in CA.
2. Gregory of Naziaznus. On God and Christ.
3. Gregory of Nyssa. Great Catechism and "On Not Three Gods."
4. Basil the Great. On The Holy Spirit.
5. Cyril of Jerusalem. Catechetical Lectures

Medieval.

Eastern or Western?

1. Augustine, City of God. Deliberately including him as a medieval.
2. Bonaventure
3. Bernard.
4. Better yet, get and studiously reread O'Donovan and O'Donovan, From Irenaeus to Grotius.
5. Duns Scotus

Reformation

1. John Knox, History of the Reformation in Scotland
2. Turretin
3. Rutherford, Lex, Rex

Brilliant, thank you so much.

Follow up question: From the earliest writings we have (Didache, Shepard of Hermas, Clement, etc.)... Are any of them unequivocally sound or are almost ALL ancient works peppered with heresy? (It appears to me that the Didache is quite sound - but you guys might disagree because the mode of baptisim section)

 

[py3ak]

There's clearly an enormous amount to read from those different eras, so here are suggestions for relatively short works that give you a taste (and are often among the best) of their era:

B.C.:
Ecclesiasticus (a/k/a Sirach)

Ante-Nicene:
The Epistle to Diognetus

Post-Nicene:
Gregory the Great, The Book of Pastoral Rule

Medieval (including two because this is way too long a time to be limited to one):
Boethius, Theological Tractates
Anselm, Monologion

Reformation:
John Calvin, The Necessity of Reforming the Church

Post-Reformation:
Richard Sibbes, A Description of Christ

 

[RamistThomist]

In another thread I had great feedback on Systematic Theology recommendations, and a few other suggestions trickled in. I now feel like I have a good list for STs and Puritans, but can you guys recommend classics through the ages:

Pre Nicea, Apostolic, the fathers, Apologists, post nicea, Medieval (very curious here), Reformation era (this too seems there are many and so any help reducing to a few classics would be greatly beneficial), etc...

Thanks!

Pre-Nicea

1. Ignatius
2. Irenaeus
3. Tertullian (everyone quotes him but he is very problematic on many issues. Still, an important witness).
4. Origen. Heretical in many parts but a great illustration of how to answer the big questions in the wrong way.

Nicea

1. Athanasius, particularly Contra Arianos. On the Incarnation is okay but overrated. The true ontology is in CA.
2. Gregory of Naziaznus. On God and Christ.
3. Gregory of Nyssa. Great Catechism and "On Not Three Gods."
4. Basil the Great. On The Holy Spirit.
5. Cyril of Jerusalem. Catechetical Lectures

Medieval.

Eastern or Western?

1. Augustine, City of God. Deliberately including him as a medieval.
2. Bonaventure
3. Bernard.
4. Better yet, get and studiously reread O'Donovan and O'Donovan, From Irenaeus to Grotius.
5. Duns Scotus

Reformation

1. John Knox, History of the Reformation in Scotland
2. Turretin
3. Rutherford, Lex, Rex

Brilliant, thank you so much.

Follow up question: From the earliest writings we have (Didache, Shepard of Hermas, Clement, etc.)... Are any of them unequivocally sound or are almost ALL ancient works peppered with heresy? (It appears to me that the Didache is quite sound - but you guys might disagree because the mode of baptisim section)

They're okay. There is stuff I disagree with but mainly I thought, "There isn't anything earth-shaking in these guys."

 

[RamistThomist]

And how did I forget Thomas Aquinas? Or at least start here.
http://davidpfield.com/other/Summa-articles.pdf

And of course, Anselm.

 

[Justified]

In another thread I had great feedback on Systematic Theology recommendations, and a few other suggestions trickled in. I now feel like I have a good list for STs and Puritans, but can you guys recommend classics through the ages:

Pre Nicea, Apostolic, the fathers, Apologists, post nicea, Medieval (very curious here), Reformation era (this too seems there are many and so any help reducing to a few classics would be greatly beneficial), etc...

Thanks!

Pre-Nicea

1. Ignatius
2. Irenaeus
3. Tertullian (everyone quotes him but he is very problematic on many issues. Still, an important witness).
4. Origen. Heretical in many parts but a great illustration of how to answer the big questions in the wrong way.

Nicea

1. Athanasius, particularly Contra Arianos. On the Incarnation is okay but overrated. The true ontology is in CA.
2. Gregory of Naziaznus. On God and Christ.
3. Gregory of Nyssa. Great Catechism and "On Not Three Gods."
4. Basil the Great. On The Holy Spirit.
5. Cyril of Jerusalem. Catechetical Lectures

Medieval.

Eastern or Western?

1. Augustine, City of God. Deliberately including him as a medieval.
2. Bonaventure
3. Bernard.
4. Better yet, get and studiously reread O'Donovan and O'Donovan, From Irenaeus to Grotius.
5. Duns Scotus

Reformation

1. John Knox, History of the Reformation in Scotland
2. Turretin
3. Rutherford, Lex, Rex

This is a pretty good list. Though some of the content of Origen is probably heretical, I am sure you'd agree that he is not a heretic. In my view he was a true son of the church, but things had not yet been developed in a systematic fashion.

Contra Arianos is good, but, boy, it's pretty tough sledding and long, too.

Duns Scotus is important to include because he is one of the top three most important medievals, and he's just a sheer genius. He is, however, not called to subtle doctor for no reason; to many without formal training, he is incomprehensible.

 

[RamistThomist]

In another thread I had great feedback on Systematic Theology recommendations, and a few other suggestions trickled in. I now feel like I have a good list for STs and Puritans, but can you guys recommend classics through the ages:

Pre Nicea, Apostolic, the fathers, Apologists, post nicea, Medieval (very curious here), Reformation era (this too seems there are many and so any help reducing to a few classics would be greatly beneficial), etc...

Thanks!

Pre-Nicea

1. Ignatius
2. Irenaeus
3. Tertullian (everyone quotes him but he is very problematic on many issues. Still, an important witness).
4. Origen. Heretical in many parts but a great illustration of how to answer the big questions in the wrong way.

Nicea

1. Athanasius, particularly Contra Arianos. On the Incarnation is okay but overrated. The true ontology is in CA.
2. Gregory of Naziaznus. On God and Christ.
3. Gregory of Nyssa. Great Catechism and "On Not Three Gods."
4. Basil the Great. On The Holy Spirit.
5. Cyril of Jerusalem. Catechetical Lectures

Medieval.

Eastern or Western?

1. Augustine, City of God. Deliberately including him as a medieval.
2. Bonaventure
3. Bernard.
4. Better yet, get and studiously reread O'Donovan and O'Donovan, From Irenaeus to Grotius.
5. Duns Scotus

Reformation

1. John Knox, History of the Reformation in Scotland
2. Turretin
3. Rutherford, Lex, Rex

This is a pretty good list. Though some of the content of Origen is probably heretical, I am sure you'd agree that he is not a heretic. In my view he was a true son of the church, but things had not yet been developed in a systematic fashion.

Contra Arianos is good, but, boy, it's pretty tough sledding and long, too.

Duns Scotus is important to include because he is one of the top three most important medievals, and he's just a sheer genius. He is, however, not called to subtle doctor for no reason; to many without formal training, he is incomprehensible.

Deciding whether Origen is a heretic or not depends on how you read the 5th Ecumenical Council. Justinian strong-armed the bishops into condemning him, but he wasn't able to make those condemnations binding on the council.

 

[RamistThomist]

Here is a list on Patristic Ethics based off the O'Donovans.
https://cocceius.wordpress.com/readings-in-patristic-ethics/

 

[Justified]

In another thread I had great feedback on Systematic Theology recommendations, and a few other suggestions trickled in. I now feel like I have a good list for STs and Puritans, but can you guys recommend classics through the ages:

Pre Nicea, Apostolic, the fathers, Apologists, post nicea, Medieval (very curious here), Reformation era (this too seems there are many and so any help reducing to a few classics would be greatly beneficial), etc...

Thanks!

Pre-Nicea

1. Ignatius
2. Irenaeus
3. Tertullian (everyone quotes him but he is very problematic on many issues. Still, an important witness).
4. Origen. Heretical in many parts but a great illustration of how to answer the big questions in the wrong way.

Nicea

1. Athanasius, particularly Contra Arianos. On the Incarnation is okay but overrated. The true ontology is in CA.
2. Gregory of Naziaznus. On God and Christ.
3. Gregory of Nyssa. Great Catechism and "On Not Three Gods."
4. Basil the Great. On The Holy Spirit.
5. Cyril of Jerusalem. Catechetical Lectures

Medieval.

Eastern or Western?

1. Augustine, City of God. Deliberately including him as a medieval.
2. Bonaventure
3. Bernard.
4. Better yet, get and studiously reread O'Donovan and O'Donovan, From Irenaeus to Grotius.
5. Duns Scotus

Reformation

1. John Knox, History of the Reformation in Scotland
2. Turretin
3. Rutherford, Lex, Rex

This is a pretty good list. Though some of the content of Origen is probably heretical, I am sure you'd agree that he is not a heretic. In my view he was a true son of the church, but things had not yet been developed in a systematic fashion.

Contra Arianos is good, but, boy, it's pretty tough sledding and long, too.

Duns Scotus is important to include because he is one of the top three most important medievals, and he's just a sheer genius. He is, however, not called to subtle doctor for no reason; to many without formal training, he is incomprehensible.

Deciding whether Origen is a heretic or not depends on how you read the 5th Ecumenical Council. Justinian strong-armed the bishops into condemning him, but he wasn't able to make those condemnations binding on the council.

Even so, he would only be a heretic materially rather than formally. To me, at least, being heretic is an act of the will.

 

[mgkortus]

In my opinion, these are essentials:

Athanasius - The Incarnation
Augustine - The Confessions
Anselm - Why God Became Man
Luther - Bondage of the Will
Calvin - The Necessity of Reforming the Church

None of these works are terribly long. Of them Bondage of the Will is the longest, followed by The Confessions. The other three are quite short.

 

[johnny]

There's some great Patrisic works (among other things) in Logos Reformed Portfolio 7 but you will need to sell a kidney to afford it. I have Portfolio 6 but the 1600 dollar update to 7 will have to wait.

https://www.logos.com/product/81196/reformed-portfolio