Brother John
Puritan Board Sophomore
What are the minimum must have commentaries and reference books needed by a seminary student? If one had the means and ability to acquire what would a complete library look like for a seminary student? 
Commentaries and Reference Books for Seminary Students
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westminken
Puritan Board Freshman
I would recommend waiting until you get the course syllabi for your classes. These usually have required reading and recommended reading. Also, pay attention in class. Profs usually have a habit of recommending books during lectures.
Restrain yourself from going crazy buying books.
You can also check the reading lists for RTS, WTS, and the other seminaries and usually those lists are pretty good at directing students.
Restrain yourself from going crazy buying books.
You can also check the reading lists for RTS, WTS, and the other seminaries and usually those lists are pretty good at directing students.
puritanpilgrim
Puritan Board Junior
Your school library should have a full library for you. Remember many of the older commentaries can be accessed online for free.
Romans922
Puritan Board Professor
Don't use money on commentaries, you will have far too much to spend on books for classes. The seminary should have a full library for you with thousands of commentaries and reference books.
If you must have commentaries, buy Calvin's Commentaries bc it is a set. CBD usually has them every once in awhile down to 100$, may be able to get them cheaper I don't know. But you can get Matthew Henry online. Personally I recommend not buying commentaries until you are out of seminary because you have many at your fingertips while you are at seminary.
If you must have commentaries, buy Calvin's Commentaries bc it is a set. CBD usually has them every once in awhile down to 100$, may be able to get them cheaper I don't know. But you can get Matthew Henry online. Personally I recommend not buying commentaries until you are out of seminary because you have many at your fingertips while you are at seminary.
Wayne
Tempus faciendi, Domine.
Going to seminary is expensive and once enrolled, every year gets tighter and tighter.
Save your money and avoid buying books if you can reasonably use the library copies.
You'll need your own books for language courses, + copies of both Hebrew and Greek testaments,
but even there wait until the prof. specifies what is required.
ESPECIALLY on commentaries, don't buy until you have graduated and then only buy as needed.
If you were going to buy one print set, I'd buy Calvin, which is exceptionally cheap and exceptionally good.
It will always be a mainstay.
Then leave it at that until you have gained the wisdom and insight to choose properly.
Remember too, the more you buy, the more you have to move around through life. Wait until you are settled.
Commentaries become crutches, too often relied on when you should instead be doing your own prayerful meditation and exploration of the text.
Save your money and avoid buying books if you can reasonably use the library copies.
You'll need your own books for language courses, + copies of both Hebrew and Greek testaments,
but even there wait until the prof. specifies what is required.
ESPECIALLY on commentaries, don't buy until you have graduated and then only buy as needed.
If you were going to buy one print set, I'd buy Calvin, which is exceptionally cheap and exceptionally good.
It will always be a mainstay.
Then leave it at that until you have gained the wisdom and insight to choose properly.
Remember too, the more you buy, the more you have to move around through life. Wait until you are settled.
Commentaries become crutches, too often relied on when you should instead be doing your own prayerful meditation and exploration of the text.
Brother John
Puritan Board Sophomore
Thanks for the recommendations and advice. I already have Calvins and Matthew Henrys commentaries. I will use library and online. What about basic reference books?
Some of the best commentaries are scanned into google books, or at least LARGE chunks of the text have been scanned in.
Not sure how long this will be allowed to continue, but here's an example...
The book of Revelation: a commentary ... - Google Books
So get your list of required commentaries and make a wish and search google books.
Not sure how long this will be allowed to continue, but here's an example...
The book of Revelation: a commentary ... - Google Books
So get your list of required commentaries and make a wish and search google books.
Romans922
Puritan Board Professor
Reference Books: only what your profs recommend or require for class; use library when possible. 1 good greek lexicon (BDAG) and hebrew lexicon (THALOT) would be good for the long term. But don't get them until you have to. Other reference books are unneeded and you can find them in your library.
I am starting theological education this fall also! Only I am doing it at a secular university as opposed to a Seminary. I wanted to use up the remaining year of my study permit while here to help improve my French! Some basic books + somethings more advanced in English are in my thought
1. Berkhof Systematic Theology+A copy of Calvin's Institutes (add Bavinck 4 volumes if you can but not necessary or wait till the 1 volume edited by Bolt this May! I am looking forward to it strongly!)
2. A history of Christianity (2 volumes in 1 or the 2 volumes) by Justo Gonzalez
3. The Creeds of Christendom 3 vol. set
4. Valley of VIsion prayer book for the good of the soul
5. If you can get your hands on the works of BB Warfield 5 volumes or 10 , get them! Not necessary but very useful. If you can just get a couple of things by Him get: Inspiration and Authority of the Bible and the new The Theology of B. B. Warfield: A Systematic Summary (can be subbsited for BB Warfield's Biblical Doctrines)
6. Last of all; for only 86 bucks you can get the entire Baker NT commentary set (only modern conservative reformed commentary on the NT that is complete to my knowledge) digitally 86 bucks. Buy commentaries digitally. cheaper and take up less room and most of your sermon work/papers will be done anyways on computer. This makes citing easier. Baker's New Testament Commentary on CD-ROM: Simon J. Kistemaker, William Hendriksen: 9780801002953: Christianbook.com
Those are just my thoughts.
Rather than buying these in book form, you might want to invest in Logos or Bibleworks (or both!).
Oecolampadius
Puritan Board Sophomore
Unless you already know your Latin and Greek theological terms, Richard Muller's 'Dictionary of Latin and Greek Theological Terms' is a reference that you should have access to. I say that because many works make use of Latin or Greek theological terms which the author or editor does not translate into English. Sometimes it's easy to figure out the meaning because of the context but sometimes it's not. However, this book is expensive so I hope your seminary's library has a copy.
Some of the entries in Muller's dictionary are terms that you are probably familiar with already. For example,
ex opere operantis
imago Dei
non posse non peccare
Yet, what makes Muller really useful is that he often provides lengthy explanations when it comes to terms that are very important. For example, when it comes to the term persona, Muller does not just simply give the English translation and theological usage but he also provides its history in relation to the doctrine of the Trinity.
Some of the entries in Muller's dictionary are terms that you are probably familiar with already. For example,
ex opere operantis
imago Dei
non posse non peccare
Yet, what makes Muller really useful is that he often provides lengthy explanations when it comes to terms that are very important. For example, when it comes to the term persona, Muller does not just simply give the English translation and theological usage but he also provides its history in relation to the doctrine of the Trinity.
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