Books on systematic Theology

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JesusIsLord

JesusIsLord

Puritan Board Freshman
Hello brothers just wanted to start studying systematic theology more in-depth. Are there any books you suggest? Ive already taken a systematic theology primer but want a deeper resource. Thank you brothers
 
A good primer on systematic theology is "The Marrow of Theology" by William Ames (1576-1633).


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I've found à Brakel's four volume The Christian's Reasonable Service to be one of my favorites. It is detailed yet pastoral. There is much good theology and also much that directly applies to day to day life. As Joel Beeke writes: "The uniqueness of à Brakel's work lies in the fact that it is more than a systematic theology ... à Brakel's intent in writing is inescapabale. He intensely wishes that the truths expounded may become an experiential reality in the hearts of those who read. In a masterful way he establishes the crucial relationship between objective truth and the subjective experience of that truth."

You can find all four volumes for free in pdf here: The Christian's Reasonable Service: à Brakel's Magnum Opus

Or in hardcover (always better!) here: The Christian's Reasonable Service, 4 vols. - Reformation Heritage Books
 
Something that is really accessible is Michael Horton's The Christian Faith. It's a really great book. Also, you can't go wrong with Hodge or Ames (as others have mentioned).
 
reaganmarsh said:
5-Point Baptist said:
A good primer on systematic theology is "The Marrow of Theology" by William Ames (1576-1633).
Click to expand...

One of my all-time favorites!
Click to expand...

I love the way Ames works from the main point backwards, continually splitting his topic into two more points....amazing.
My 13 year old son will be reading his first systematic soon and it will be Ames' "The Marrow of Theology." Easy enough for him to grasp, yet thorough enough to be worth reading. He read "Holiness" by J.C. Ryle last year and he loved it.


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5-Point Baptist said:
reaganmarsh said:
5-Point Baptist said:
A good primer on systematic theology is "The Marrow of Theology" by William Ames (1576-1633).
Click to expand...

One of my all-time favorites!
Click to expand...

I love the way Ames works from the main point backwards, continually splitting his topic into two more points....amazing.
My 13 year old son will be reading his first systematic soon and it will be Ames' "The Marrow of Theology." Easy enough for him to grasp, yet thorough enough to be worth reading. He read "Holiness" by J.C. Ryle last year and he loved it.


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Click to expand...

Train up a child, brother. Grace to you.
 
If I could begin again I would first read and reread the "Westminster Confession of Faith" the Reformed "Three Forms of Unity" and there commentaries.
Keep in mind that Systematics if you are not careful sometimes cause a person to stand on a hill without reading other "opinions" whereas you can study
the above mentioned standards for years and years and come away with a wonderful understanding of the Christian faith if the LORD should give application to the heart.

Blessings,
 
The suggestion to begin with the confessions is very wise. They are not merely the formulations of one theologian, but the joint testimony of a national church.
Subsequent to that, Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion are of permanent value. I'd leave a lot of things unread before that one. There are no substitutes or surrogates.
Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics are genuinely epic.
And Francis Turretin's Institutes of Elenctic Theology provide a solid and detailed survey of Reformed positions over against our various antagonists.
I personally like John Brown of Haddington's Systematic Theology (previously A Compendious View of Natural and Revealed Religion) for its clarity, suggestiveness, and warmth. But the other volumes mentioned are not inferior to it, and have certainly been more widely influential.
 
I agree with others who have suggested you begin with the confessions, and I think the next place to go is Berkhof and Reymond. They are two very accessible systematics that are also thorough. I definitely would not begin with Turretin, Hodge or Dabney. Dabney and Turretin, in particular, are tremendous but it would be wise to have read something else first...

I can't speak for John Brown's systematic because I am waiting for mine to arrive. Another excellent place to begin is with Morton Smith.
 
I like Turretin but find it a little thick. I read through Hodge a while back and really enjoyed it particularly because he would present opposing views or beliefs (whether Roman Catholic or heathen) and would discuss the problems with them. Then he would present the biblical view. It's very topical and was accessible for me at least. I really appreciated the fairness with which he would treat opposing views. That said, it's a long read!

The Westminster Confession is a very good place to start, and I found A.A. Hodge's commentary on it to be short but thought-provoking and enlightening.
 
Also keep in mind that there are some systematic theologies that are best to read through (Calvin comes to mind) and others that you might have on the shelf as a reference without necessarily reading straight through at once (i.e. most of the multi-volume sets).
 
Hamalas said:
I've found à Brakel's four volume The Christian's Reasonable Service to be one of my favorites. It is detailed yet pastoral. There is much good theology and also much that directly applies to day to day life. As Joel Beeke writes: "The uniqueness of à Brakel's work lies in the fact that it is more than a systematic theology ... à Brakel's intent in writing is inescapabale. He intensely wishes that the truths expounded may become an experiential reality in the hearts of those who read. In a masterful way he establishes the crucial relationship between objective truth and the subjective experience of that truth."

You can find all four volumes for free in pdf here: The Christian's Reasonable Service: à Brakel's Magnum Opus

Or in hardcover (always better!) here: The Christian's Reasonable Service, 4 vols. - Reformation Heritage Books
Click to expand...

Took the words right out of my mouth!
 
Start with the Reformed Confessions and Catechisms (Westminster Standards and 3 forms of Unity). Move to Bavinck's ''Our Reasonable Faith'' which is a one volume systematic theology which was designed for use in adult Sunday School classes; Than you need to Read Calvin's Institutes at least once- It is a classic, then move to Berkhof's Systematic theology (which is simply an abridgement of Bavinck's 4 volume Refomed Dogmatics), and finally if you have the time and money invest in the 4 volume Bavinck Reformed Dogmatics. Add Robert Reymond's A New Systematic Theology 2nd Edition or Horton's Systematic Theology which brings up to date much that is in Berkhof. But they don't go into indepth as Bavinck. If you have some extra money, through in Turretin's 3 volume Institutes of Ecclectic Theology- THE classic treatment of Reformed theology until the early 20th century (Hodge taught from this until his volumes were completed).
 
I just discovered that Berkhof's systematic (which has been recommended a number of times here) is available online or for download (free!). I also wanted to add that I have just started digging in to John Brown of Haddington's Systematic Theology and find it absolutely wonderful. They are hard to find but if you can find a used copy it is well worth the purchase.
 
The Confessions are, without question, the place to start. Morton Smith's "Harmony of The Westminster Standards" is the first volume I'd purchase. A.A. Hodge's "Outlines" is also very good, as is Berkhof as a beginning point.
 
JesusIsLord said:
Hello brothers just wanted to start studying systematic theology more in-depth. Are there any books you suggest? Ive already taken a systematic theology primer but want a deeper resource. Thank you brothers
Click to expand...

Jenson, Robert. Systematic Theology vol. 1. Oxford University Press. Very difficult but has a number of promising insights. His format, while having some drawbacks, is much superior to most ST's formats.
Jenson, Robert. America's Theology: Jonathan Edwards. Oxford University Press. Takes a lot of the above insights and evaluates Jonathan Edwards in light of them. A bit easier to read than his ST.
 
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