# Top 10 Theology Books of All Time



## Arch2k

There are tons of threads listing the best systematics, but if you had to pin down the top ten best theology books of all time, what would they be?


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## crhoades

In no certain order...

Calvin's Institutes
Luther's Bondage of the Will
Augustine's Confessions
Edwards' Religious Affections
Bahnsen's Van Til's Apologetic Readings and Analysis
Westminster Standards
John Owen: Death of Death in the Death of Christ
William Whitaker - Disputations on Holy Scripture
Lex Rex - Samuel Rutherford
Having a hard time picking #10 - will edit later

#10 John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. Huge impact

[Edited on 11-4-2005 by crhoades]


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## ChristopherPaul

No hierarchical order, but these came to mind:

Institutes of the Christian Religion by Calvin
Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) by Westminster Divines
By Oath Consigned, by Meredith Kline
Human Nature in its Fourfold State by Thomas Boston 
The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination by Loraine Boettner
The Freedom of the Will by Jonathan Edwards
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ by John Owen
The Canon of Scripture by F.F. Bruce or Christ of the Covenants by O. Palmer Robertson
Systematic Theology by Berkhoff
City of God or Confessions by Augustine


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## Romans922

I haven't read all the books to know...sorry!


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## VirginiaHuguenot

Tough to choose...

Calvin's _Institutes_
Augustine's _Confessions_ and _City of God_
Luther's _Bondage of the Will_
Dabney's _Discussions_
Rutherford's _Lex Rex_
Ames' _The Marrow of Divinity_
Ursinus' _Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism_
Poole and Henry's _Commentaries on the Bible_
Fisher's _The Marrow of Modern Divinity_ and _Catechism_
Boston's _Human Nature in its Fourfold State_
Edwards' _History of Redemption_ and _Religious Affections_
Westminster Standards

I think I exceeded ten...oh well...


[Edited on 11-6-2005 by VirginiaHuguenot]


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## C. Matthew McMahon

In no order:

1) The Westminster Standards 
2) Institutes of the Christian Religion, by John Calvin
3) Institutes of Elenctic Theology, by Francis Turretin
4) Bondage of the Wlill, by Martin Luther
5) The Works of Edwards
6) The Works of John Owen
7) Disputations on Holy Scripture, by William Whitaker 
8) Pastoral Theology, by Thomas Murphy 
9) The Art of Prophesying, by William Perkins 
10) Historical Theology, by William Cunningham 
11) Marrow of Theology, by William Ames 
12) Systematic Theology, by Dabney, R. L. 
13) Systematic Theology, by Hodge, Charles (3 Volumes) 
14) Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (12 Volumes), by Kittel 
15) A Treatise On Regeneration, by Peter Van Mastricht 
16) Calvin´s Calvinism, by John Calvin 
17) The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, by Loraine Boettner 
18) Pilgrim´s Progress, by John Bunyan 
19) The Economy of the Covenants Between God and Man, by Herman Witsius 

Ooops - went a little over.


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## crhoades

> _Originally posted by webmaster_
> In no order:
> 
> 1) The Westminster Standards
> 2) Institutes of the Christian Religion, by John Calvin
> 3) Institutes of Elenctic Theology, by Francis Turretin
> 4) Bondage of the Wlill, by Martin Luther
> 5) The Works of Edwards
> 6) The Works of John Owen
> 7) Disputations on Holy Scripture, by William Whitaker
> 8) Pastoral Theology, by Thomas Murphy
> 9) The Art of Prophesying, by William Perkins
> 10) Historical Theology, by William Cunningham
> 11) Marrow of Theology, by William Ames
> 12) Systematic Theology, by Dabney, R. L.
> 13) Systematic Theology, by Hodge, Charles (3 Volumes)
> 14) Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (12 Volumes), by Kittel
> 15) A Treatise On Regeneration, by Peter Van Mastricht
> 16) Calvin´s Calvinism, by John Calvin
> 17) The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, by Loraine Boettner
> 18) Pilgrim´s Progress, by John Bunyan
> 19) The Economy of the Covenants Between God and Man, by Herman Witsius
> 
> Ooops - went a little over.



So what you're saying is:
http://www.apuritansmind.com/SuggestedLibraryAdvanced.htm


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## crhoades

Draught Horse speaks from the grave:

1)Calvin's Institutes
2)Luther's Bondage of the Will; to quote Dr Rushdoony, "This book is one of the finest documents in the history of human thought."
3) Bahnsen's Van Til's Apologetic Readings and Analysis: Van Til decimated humanistic thought. Bahnsen goes on to exegete, explain, and apply Van Til's richest insights.
4) Lex Rex - Samuel Rutherford--ungodly and tyrannical judges and leaders are to be feared and hated, and given the proper preconditions, resisted. Rutherford explains why
5)Rushdoony's Messianic Character of American Education. Although the Reformed world didn't take his predictions and arguments seriously, humanistic America did--and feared! This book poured life into the Home and Christian School Movement. When tyrannical big government was closing in on education and instituting Molech worship, Bahnsen and Rushdoony appeared in courts as expert witnesses and won the battle! 
6) Owen's Death of Death--still to be answered.
7) Augustine's Confessions--instrumental in forming Western Spirituality.
8) City of God--While this did less for me than it did for others, still quite useful in decimating pagan apologetics
9) Athanasius De Incarnatione--Set the foundation for Western liberty
10) Kuyper Lectures on Calvinism--Calvinism applied to all of life.


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## C. Matthew McMahon

It probably would be better to say - what are the top 5 books in each discipline that your would choose. Its too hard to cover everything important inside of 10 books.

I definitely think Whitaker is a must. Its just too good on the authority of Scripture.

Ames' work and a bible could easily train up a minister.

Murphy's pastoral Theology is a must have for any minister of the Gospel.

edwards, Owen, Calvin, Turretin, Luther - nuff said.

I'd love to list the Scottish Presbyterians and thier works.

Westminster is obviously a must.

It is impossible to leave a good historical theology book. (Cunningham)

You have to have a good Covenant Theology book (Witsius).

The Two Wills of God by Mcmahon on accomodation, and interpretation is a necessary must (oops, had to plug that one!).

I can't see leaving out the systematics - Turretin, Dabney, Hodge, etc.

Choosing is hard.


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## R. Scott Clark

> _Originally posted by Jeff_Bartel_
> There are tons of threads listing the best systematics, but if you had to pin down the top ten best theology books of all time, what would they be?



Here's a list more focused on Reformed books: 

http://public.csusm.edu/guests/rsclark/Books.html

rsc


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## Arch2k

> _Originally posted by webmaster_
> 14) Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (12 Volumes), by Kittel



Now that's some late night reading for ya! 

BTW, where did you get the extra two volumes? 

Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, *10 Volumes*


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## Charismatic Calvinist

*Chux Pix*

1. _Institutes of the Christian Religion_, Calvin
2. WCF
3. _The Death of Death in the Death of Christ_, Owen
4. Anything by Jonathan Edwards
5. Shedd's Dogmatic Theology (vol. 1-3)
6. _The Doctrine of God_, Herman Bavnick
7. _Principles of Sacred Theology_, Abraham Kuyper
8. _The Satisfaction of Christ_, Pink (reading this one NOW!)
9. _Systematic Theology_, Wayne Grudem
10. _The Spiritual Man_, Watchman Nee
11. _The Eternal Church_, Bill Hamon
12. _The Sovereignty of God_, Pink
13. _The Harvest_, Rick Joyner


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## Mayflower

> _Originally posted by Charismatic Calvinist_13. _The Harvest_, Rick Joyner



Whats so special about Rick Joyner and his book the harvest ?


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## Charismatic Calvinist

> _Originally posted by Mayflower_
> 
> 
> 
> _Originally posted by Charismatic Calvinist_13. _The Harvest_, Rick Joyner
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Whats so special about Rick Joyner and his book the harvest ?
Click to expand...


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## Charismatic Calvinist

What I meant was, "check it out!"


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## gwine

Hey, Chuck, I like your tag line.


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## Davidius

Mayflower said:


> Whats so special about Rick Joyner and his book the harvest ?





Charismatic Calvinist said:


> What I meant was, "check it out!"



Rick Joyner is a heretic.


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## etexas

CarolinaCalvinist said:


> Rick Joyner is a heretic.


I am hitting Imitation of Christ definately number one for me. I will get back on the other 9 easier said than done.


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