Basic Books on Theology

Last Sunday I preached on the need to study theology. All of us should be growing in our understanding of the great doctrines of the Christian faith. It is impossible to do this without stretching ourselves theologically. Here are some books I would recommend for a basic understanding of reformed theology. I know there are many other good books out there. These are ones I have read and profited from.

J.I. Packer's Concise Theology is one the best introductions to reformed theology around. It covers every major topic in usually 1-2 pages. It would be a great reference tool to pull off the shelf as you study various topics. It would also be an excellent study for high school students.

Next I would recommend R.C. Sproul's book Essential Truths of the Christian Faith. R.C. Sproul has the wonderful ability to clearly communicate profound truths. This book is much like Packer's, but a little more thorough.

Next  I would recommend John Calvin's Truth for All Time. Don't let John Calvin's name scare you. This book is a little gem. It is only 76 pages long. It is perfect for someone who is growing in the faith. What makes this book different from the ones above is that Calvin briefly goes through the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, and the Lord's Prayer. These three things formed the foundation for teaching biblical truth in the Reformation.

Finally, I would encourage reading Kevin DeYoung's The Good News We Almost Forgot. In this book Pastor DeYoung walks through the Heidelberg Catechism. He originally wrote each chapter as a newsletter to his congregation. Each chapter is around three pages. He is relevant, easy to understand, witty, and biblical.

Besides these books I would recommend the Westminster Confession, Larger Catechism, and Shorter Catechism, along with the Heidelberg Catechism, the Canons of Dordt, and the Beglic Confession. These can all be found online.

Friday Specials

Many ministries do specials every Friday. Here are the ones for this week.

Canon Press has numerous deals.

You can still can still buy one copy get one free of (until May 8th) Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic. The shipping is free as well. My wife read the book and said it was excellent.

While you are at Canon Press's web site check out their overstock and damaged page. Might I suggest Future Men by Wilson and The Shape of Sola Scriptura by Keith Mathison. You can get them there for 1/2 price.

Canon press is also selling one of their books at 1/2 price every Friday. This week it is Heaven Misplaced by Douglas Wilson. This is a non-technical introduction to post-milleniallism. Type in "50 Fridays" in the coupon code box when you order and you should get the book for 1/2 price.

CBD has some good deals on the older Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. I have found these to be excellent shorter commentaries. A good choice for the layman who wants to dive in deeper to some books from the New Testament. CBD has the ones below for $4.99. I would recommend anything by Leon Morris and there are two on sale by him.

Leon Morris on I and II Thessalonians
Donald Guthrie on the Pastoral Epistles
Ralph Martin on Philippians
Leon Morris on Luke
R. Alan Cole on Galatians
Colin Kruse on II Corinthians

Every Friday Tim Challies has a give away from a Christian book seller. This week the prize is a set of books from Brian Croft. They are geared towards pastors. All you have to do is visit this page and then enter your name and email.

Finally, Ligonier Ministries does a $5 Friday, where they sell certain products for only $5. This week you can find several teaching series by R.C. Sproul available.

Questions to Ask

Chris Brauns posted a blog on some questions not to ask before allowing something to shape one's worldview. He was talking primarily about inspirational Christian books. But I think his point applies to books, movies, video games, magazines, radio shows and music. Here are the three questions to ask:

The question is not:

•Can the author construct a hypothetical scenario that seems compelling to me? For instance, if an author says, “If God sends x number of people to hell, then we have problems,” the author is not appealing to any biblical authority. Rather, he is appealing to what resonates with people’s culturally conditioned sensibilities.

•Do I like how the story makes me feel? All kinds of fiction make people feel good during the duration of a movie or a book. Audiences felt good when they watched the movie Pretty Woman. But do we really think that the way to redemption for a prostitute and a selfish materialist would be an extended business relationship?

•Does the story involve me? There are all sorts of stories that draw an audience in so that they want to know the outcome or resolution of the plot. However, this doesn’t mean that we should allow them to shape our worldview.

What question should we ask? "To what source of authority does this book appeal."