“What books are you reading in seminary?” This is a question I’ve been asked a lot over the past couple of years. As often as I’ve been asked this question, I thought it might be helpful to put together the entire list of books.
Couple caveats:
1. This list is required reading for MDiv students at Covenant Theological Seminary from fall, 2016 to spring, 2019 based on the classes I took. This list is not meant to curate all the books read at every seminary.
2. This list represents the Master of Divinity degree only.
3. Professors sometimes change the books they assign, which means one could do the same program I did and have, say, 10-15% different books required to read.
4. Most of these books were required. However, I’ve added some of the recommended books from professors if I thought they were worth mentioning.
[callout]Note: If you’d like to know which books were my favorites, see my post entitled: Top 20 Best Books I Read in Seminary.[/callout]
Categories:
1. Apologetics, Evangelism, and Missions
2. Applied Theology
3. Church History
4. Counseling
5. Covenant Theology
6. Greek
7. Hebrew
8. New Testament
9. Old Testament
10. Preaching
11. Systematic Theology
12. Miscellaneous
You can find the books below.
Seminary Books: A Complete Lists of Required Reading for my MDiv Studies
1. Apologetics, Evangelism, and Missions
Apologetics and the Christian Imagination: An Integrated Approach to Defending the Faith by Holly Ordway
A Wilderness of Mirrors: Trusting Again in a Cynical World by Mark Meynell
Chameleon Christianity by Dick Keyes
Evangelism in the Early Church by Michael Green
Evangelism: How the Whole Church Speaks of Jesus by Mack Stiles
Fool’s Talk: Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion by Os Guinness
Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church by Soong-Chan Rah
Reasons of the Heart: Recovering Christian Persuasion by William Edgar
The Heart of Evangelism by Jerram Barrs
The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia–and How It Died by Phillip Jenkins
Translating the Message: The Missionary Impact on Culture by Lamin Sanneh
2. Applied Theology
[callout]“Applied” is a bit ambiguous. Essentially it just means classes that are more practical in nature and less academic.[/callout]
Children of the Living God by Sinclair Ferguson
Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice by Bryan Chapell
Christian Spirituality: Five Views of Sanctification
Gilead: A Novel by Maryline Robinson
In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership by Henri Nouwen
Kingdom Calling: Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good by Amy Sherman
Letters of Francis A. Schaeffer: Spiritual Reality in the Personal Christian Life by Francis A. Schaeffer
Resilient Ministry: What Pastors Told Us About Surviving and Thriving
The Imperfect Pastor: Discovering Joy in Our Limitations through a Daily Apprenticeship with Jesus by Zack Eswine
Transforming Grace: Living Confidently in God’s Unfailing Love by Jerry Bridges
Union with Christ: Reframing Theology and Ministry for the Church by Todd Billings
What Is Your Church’s Personality?: Discovering and Developing the Ministry Style of Your Church by Phil Douglas
With One Voice: Discovering Christ’s Song in Our Worship by Reggie Kidd
3. Church History
A History of the Church in the Middle Ages by F. Donald Logan
Church History, Volume One by Everett Ferguson
Church History, Volume Two by John D. Woodbridge and Frank A. James III
How (Not) to Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor by James K.A. Smith
4. Counseling
Close Calls: What Adulterers Want You to Know About Protecting Your Marriage by Dave Carder
Descriptions and Prescriptions: A Biblical Perspective on Psychiatric Diagnoses and Medications by Michael Emelet
Generation to Generation: Family Process in Church and Synagogue by Edwin Friedman
Strategic Pastoral Counseling: A Short-Term Structured Model by David Benner
Suffering and the Heart of God: How Trauma Destroys and Christ Restores by Diane Langberg
The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God by Tim Keller
The Leader’s Journey: Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational Transformation
What Am I Feeling? by John Gottman
When Life Goes Dark: Finding Hope in the Midst of Depression by Richard Winter
5. Covenant Theology
Bible and Mission: Christian Witness in a Postmodern World by Richard Bauckham
Far as the Curse Is Found: The Covenant Story of Redemption by Mike Williams
Introducing Paul: The Man, His Mission and His Message by Michael Bird
Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament by Christopher J.H. Wright
Proper Confidence: Faith, Doubt, and Certainty in Christian Discipleship by Leslie Newbigin
Redemptive History and the New Testament Scriptures by Herman Ridderbos
The Mission of God’s People: A Biblical Theology of the Church’s Mission by Christopher J.H. Wright
Words of Life: Scripture as the Living and Active Word of God by Timothy Ward
6. Greek
A Handbook of New Testament Exegesis by Craig Blomberg
A New Testament Greek Primer by S.M. Baugh
The Complete Vocabulary Guide to the Greek New Testament by Warren Trenchard
Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament by Daniel B. Wallace
Novum Testamentum Graece: Nestle-Aland
The Concise Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament by Frederick William Danker
[special]Related: How to Learn Biblical Greek Without a Seminary Degree [/special]
7. Hebrew
Beginning Biblical Hebrew by Mark Futato
A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax by Bill Arnold and John Choi
Student’s Vocabulary for Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic by Larry Mitchel
The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon – Coded with Strong’s Concordance Numbers
[special]Related: How to Learn Biblical Hebrew Without a Seminary Degree[/special]
8. New Testament
An Introduction to the New Testament by D.A. Carson and Douglass Moo
Acts (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (IVP Numbered)) by I. Howard Marshall
John (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) by Andreas Kostenberger
Letters to the Church: A Survey of Hebrews and the General Epistles by Karen Jobes
Paul, Apostle of God’s Glory in Christ: A Pauline Theology by Thomas Schreiner
Readings from the First-Century World: Primary Sources for New Testament Study
The Heresy of Orthodoxy: How Contemporary Culture’s Fascination with Diversity Has Reshaped Our Understanding of Early Christianity by Andreas Kostenberger and Michael Kruger
The Theology of the Book of Revelation by Richard Bauckham
Theology of the New Testament: A Canonical and Synthetic Approach by Frank Thielman
Pastoral Epistles, Volume 46 (Word Biblical Commentary) by William Bounce
9. Old Testament
A Biblical History of Israel by Iain Provan
An Introduction to the Old Testament Historical Books by David Howard Jr.
An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophetic Books by C. Hassell Bullock
Forgotten Songs: Reclaiming the Psalms for Christian Worship by Ray Van Neste
From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch by T. Desmond Alexander
Is God a Moral Monster?: Making Sense of the Old Testament God by Paul Copan
Leviticus: An Introduction and Commentary by Jay Sklar
Old Testament Ethics for the People of God by Christopher J.H. Wright
Proverbs (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries) by Dee Kidner
Psalms 1-72 (Kidner Classic Commentaries) by Dee Kidner
Psalms 73-150 (Kidner Classic Commentaries) Dee Kidner
The God of Miracles: An Exegetical Examination of God’s Action in the World by Jack Collins
The Interpretation of Prophecy by Patrick Fairbairn
The Biblical Psalms in Christian Worship: A Brief Introduction and Guide to Resources by John D. Witvliet
The Wisdom of Proverbs, Job & Ecclesiastes by Dee Kidner
10. Preaching
Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon by Bryan Chapell
Preaching the Old Testament by Scott Gibson
How to Preach and Teach the Old Testament for All Its Worth by Christopher J.H. Wright
Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism by Tim Keller
Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture: The Application of Biblical Theology to Expository Preaching by Graeme Goldsworthy
Preaching That Speaks to Women by Alice Mathews
Preaching to a Post-Everything World: Crafting Biblical Sermons That Connect with Our Culture by Zack Eswine
Preaching with Cultural Intelligence: Understanding the People Who Hear Our Sermons by Matthew Kim
Recapturing the Voice of God: Shaping Sermons Like Scripture by Steven W. Smith
Recovering Eden: The Gospel According to Ecclesiastes by Zack Eswine
11. Systematic Theology
A Light to the Nations: The Missional Church and the Biblical Story by Michael Goheen
A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology by J. Richard Middleton
By the Renewing of Your Minds: The Pastoral Function of Christian Doctrine by Ellen Charry
Christ, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper: Recovering the Sacraments for Evangelical Worship by Leonard Vander Zee
Ecumenical Creeds and Reformed Confessions
Justification and the Gospel: Understanding the Contexts and Controversies by R. Michael Allen
Living in God’s Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture David VanDrunen
On the Incarnation by Saint Athanasius
Our Reasonable Faith by Herman Bavinck
Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin by Cornelius Plantinga
The Doctrine of God by Gerald Bray
The Doctrine of Humanity by Chalres Sherlock
The Doctrine of the Christian Life (A Theology of Lordship) by John Frame
The Holy Spirit by Sinclair Ferguson
The Freedom of a Christian by Martin Luther
The Westminster Confession of Faith
Why I Am Not an Arminian by Michael Williams and Robert Peterson
12. Miscellaneous
[callout]These are books from elective classes or books that do not fit neatly in the above categories. They are by no means academic books and are not representative of what seminary students typically read, although many of them are helpful nonetheless.[/callout]
Christian Reflections by C.S. Lewis
From Weakness to Strength by Scott Sauls
God in the Dock by C.S. Lewis
Knowing God by J.I. Packer
Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian in Community by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power by Andy Crouch
Reflections on the Psalms by C.S. Lewis
The Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can’t Get Their Act Together by Jared C. Wilson
The Nuts and Bolts of Church Planting: A Guide for Starting Any Kind of Church by Aubrey Malphurs
The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis
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