http://wts.edu/becoming/whywestminster/recommendedreading.html
Below
you’ll find a list of books that our faculty, administration and alumni
recommend to those who are interested in Westminster and those who are
entering as Westminster students. It is by no means exhaustive and is by
no means required before enrollment, but you may find these books to be
a good “warm up” for your Westminster education.
A number of
these books are required for classes, and generally we’ve listed the
books that are easier to read at the top in each category. The titles
are arranged according to the categories of Westminster classes, so it
is also a fair representation of the kind of literature you will be
reading for your respective classes. You will also be expected to write a
great deal for your classes, so at the end of the list we have included
books on research and writing most often recommend by professors.
When possible, the books are linked to where you can purchase them through the Westminster Bookstore. Blessings on your preparation for Westminster and enjoy your reading!
Jared Oliphint, ‘05
Regional Coordinator for Recruitment, Alumni Relations, and Development
Greek Hebrew Apologetics Old Testament New Testament
Biblical Theology and Hermeneutics Church History
Systematic Theology Practical Theology
Greek
o Machen, J. Gresham and Dan G. McCartney. New Testament Greek for Beginners. Prentice Hall, 2003.
o Mounce, William D. Basics of Biblical Greek: Grammar. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003.
o Wallace, Daniel B. Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996.
o Silva, Moises. Biblical Greek and Reformed Textual Criticism?
Hebrew
o Weingreen, Jacob. A Practical Grammar for Classical Hebrew. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1959.
o Arnold, Bill T. and John Choi. Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
o Waltke, Bruce. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1990.
Apologetics
o Oliphint, K. Scott. The Battle Belongs to the Lord. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 2003.
o Edgar, William. Reasons of the Heart. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1996.
o Keller, Timothy. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. New York: Dutton, 2008.
o Bahnsen, Greg L. Van Til's Apologetic. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1998.
o Machen, J. Gresham. Christianity and Liberalism. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009.
o Poythress, Vern S. Redeeming Science. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2006.
o Van Til, Cornelius. The Defense of the Faith. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 2008.
o Oliphint, K. Scott, and Lane G. Tipton, (eds.) Revelation and Reason. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 2007.
o Oliphint, K. Scott. Reasons for Faith: Philosophy in the Service of Theology. Phillipsburg, N. J.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 2006.
o Dillard, Raymond B. and Tremper Longman, III. An Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006.
o Waltke, Bruce K., and Charles Yu. An Old Testament Theology: A Canonical and Thematic Approach. Zondervan, 2006.
o Longman, Tremper III. How to Read the Psalms. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988.
o Silva, Moises and Karen Jobes. Invitation to the Septuagint. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2005
o Armerding, Carl E. The Old Testament and Criticism. Spring Arbor Distributors.
o Young, E.J. “The Authority of the Old Testament.” In The Infallible Word, Edited by Stonehouse, N.B., and Paul Wooley, 55-91. Phillipsburg, N. J.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co, 2002.
o Kline, Meredith G. Kingdom Prologue. Overland Park, KS: Two Age Press, 2000.
o Kline, Meredith G. Images of the Spirit. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1980.
o Vos, Geerhardus. The Eschatology of the Old Testament. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2001.
New Testament
o Guthrie, Donald. New Testament Introduction. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1990.
o Barrett, C.K. The New Testament Background. New York: HarperOne, 1995.
o Metzger, Bruce M. The Text of the New Testament. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
o Stonehouse, N.B. “The Authority of the New Testament” In The Infallible Word, Edited by Stonehouse, N.B., and Paul Wooley, 92-140. Phillipsburg, N. J.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co, 2002.
o Gaffin, Richard B. Perspectives on Pentecost. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1979.
o Strimple, Robert B. The Modern Search for the Real Jesus. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1995.
o Ridderbos, Herman. Redemptive History and the New Testament Scriptures. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1988.
o Ridderbos, Herman. The Coming of the Kingdom. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1962.
o Vos, Geerhardus. The Self-Disclosure of Jesus: The Modern Debate About the Messianic Consciousness. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 2002.
o Ridderbos, Herman. Paul: An Outline of His Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1997.
Biblical Theology and Hermeneutics
o Poythress, Vern. God-Centered Biblical Interpretation. Phillipsburg, N. J.: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1999.
o Silva, Moises, ”The Case for Calvinistic Hermeneutics.” In Revelation and Reason,
edited by K. Scott Oliphint and Lane G. Tipton, 74-94. Phillipsburg,
New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 2007.
o Vos, Geerhardus. Biblical Theology. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2000.
o Silva, Moises, Ed. Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996.
o McCartney, Dan and Charles Clayton. Let the Reader Understand. Phillipsburg, N. J.: Presbyterian and Reformed, 2002.
o Conn, Harvie. Inerrancy and Hermeneutic. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1988.
o Beale, G.K. The Erosion of Inerrancy in Evangelicalism. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008.
o Silva, Moises. Biblical Words and Their Meaning: An Introduction to Lexical Semantics. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1983.
o Poythress, Vern. The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1995.
o Vos, Geerhardus. The Teaching of Jesus Concerning the Kingdom of God and the Church. New York: American Tract Society, 1903.
o Nichols, Stephen J. and Eric T. Brandt. Ancient Word, Changing Worlds. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2009.
o Vos, Geerhardus. The Pauline Eschatology. Phillipsburg, N. J.: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1994.
Church History
o Hastings, Adrian. A World History of Christianity. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000.
o Chadwick, Henry. The Early Church. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1993.
o Pelikan, Jaroslav. The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1975.
o Lindberg, Carter. The Reformation Theologians. Wiley-Blackwell, 2002.
o Plancher, William C. Readings in the History of Christian Theology. Richmond: Westminster John Knox Press, 1988.
o Muller, Richard A. Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics : The Rise and Development of Reformed Orthodoxy. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 2003.
o Ahlstrom, Sydney E. A Religious History of the American People. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004.
o Nichols, Stephen. J. J. Gresham Machen: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought. Philipsburg, N.J.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 2004.
o Trueman, Carl. John Owen. Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2007.
Systematic Theology
o Ferguson, Sinclair. The Christian Life. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1981.
o Van Til, Cornelius. An Introduction to Systematic Theology. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 2007.
o Oliphint, K. Scott, ed. Justified in Christ: God's Plan for Us in Justification. UK: Christian Focus Publications, 2007.
o Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion.
Translated by Ford Lewis Battles. Edited by John T. McNeill. The
Library of Christian Classics. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press,
1960.
o Turretin, Francis. Institutes of Elenctic Theology.
Translated by George Musgrave Giger. Edited by Jr James T. Dennison. 3
vols. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing
Company, 1994.
o Bavinck, Herman. Reformed Dogmatics. Translated by John Vriend. Edited by John Bolt. Vols. 1-4, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2003.
o Warfield, B.B. The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible. Philadelphia, Pa.: Presbyterian and Reformed Pub. Co, 1948.
o Murray, John. Collected Writings of John Murray, Vols. 1-4. The Banner of Truth Trust, 1977.
o Hall, David and Peter Lillback, eds. A Theological Guide to Calvin's Institutes: Essays and Analysis. Philipsburg, N.J.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 2008.
o Tipton, Lane and Jeff Waddington, eds. Resurrection and Eschatology: Theology In Service of the Church, Essays in Honor of Richard B. Gaffin. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 2008.
o Hagopian, David, Ed. The Genesis Debate. Mission Viejo, CA: Crux Press, 2000.
o Gaffin, Richard B. Resurrection and Redemption. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1987.
o Ferguson, Sinclair. The Holy Spirit. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1997.
o Darrel L. Bock, ed. Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1999.
o Young, E.J. Thy Word is Truth. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1963.
o Gaffin, Richard B. God’s Word in Servant Form: Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck and the Doctrine of Scripture. Jackson, MS: Reformed Academic Press, 2008.
Practical Theology
o Clowney, Edmund P. Called to the Ministry. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1976.
o Warfield, B.B. The Religious Life of Theological Students. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing.
o Tripp, Paul. Age of Opportunity. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 2001.
o Powlison, David. Seeing With New Eyes. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 2003.
o Welch, Ed. Addictions – A Banquet in the Grave. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 2001.
o Tripp, Paul. Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2002.
o Miller, John. A Faith Worth Sharing. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1999.
o Logan, Samuel T., ed. The Preacher and Preaching. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1996.
o Welch, Ed. When People Are Big and God is Small. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1997.
o Conn, Harvie and Manuel Ortiz. Urban Ministry. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2001.
o Lane, Tim and Paul Tripp. How People Change. Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2008.
o Conn, Harvie. Eternal Word and Changing Worlds. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1992.
o Welch, Ed. Blame It On the Brain. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1998.
Adler, Mortimer J., and Charles Van Doran. How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading. Revised edition. New York: Touchstone, 1972.
Badke, William B. Research Strategies: Finding Your Way through the Information Fog. 2nd ed. iUniverse, Inc, 2004.
Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 7th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. (Note the excellent discussion of research writing, new to this edition)
Strunk, William, Jr., and E. B. White. The Elements of Style. 4th ed. New York: Allyn & Bacon, 2000.
Kane, Thomas S. The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing. New York: Berkley Books, 1988.
Zinsser, William. On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction. 30th anniversary ed. New York: Harper Collins, 2006.
Williams, Joseph M. Style: Toward Clarity and Grace. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990.
Orwell, George. “Politics and the English Language.” Shooting an Elephant and Other Essays. London: Secker and Warburg, 1950.
Reading
classic literature and literary essays can help you learn to write more
clearly, cogently, and beautifully. Contact a faculty member or the Center for Theological Writing for suggestions.