I thought it might be beneficial to try and develop some sort of a reading list for various areas of systematic and pastoral theology. My hope is that this list will have something of an organic life, being edited from time to time as I come across various texts (and suggestions by others) that warrant inclusion. While I hope that the list betrays theological discernment and acumen, I’m not interested in developing a list that pleases any one theological camp in particular … though my biases will be obvious enough. It is hoped that the list will reflect the best and most important texts of a tradition unashamedly ecumenical, catholic and apostolic. The kind of thing I have in mind is a reading list and resource for English-speaking undergraduate theology students. Of course, in good blogging style, I also welcome suggestions.

A few things to note:

– Many books allude easy wee categorisation. In such cases I have placed it where I think if belongs best and sometimes in multiple places. If you think it ought to be somewhere else, suggest somewhere. (NB. For the purposes of this exercise, Hell is not a place!)
– I haven’t read everything. That’s why I’m asking for your help.
– In due course, I may add further subcategories. But for now, I have decided on 20 categories:

1. Theological Method and Prolegomena
2. Systematics/Dogmatics
3. Biblical Theology
4. Theology Proper
5. Patriology
6. Christology
7. Pneumatology
8. Revelation
9. Creation
10. Soteriology
11. Ecclesiology
12. Anthropology
13. Prayer and Meditation
14. Missiology
15. Ethics
16. Doxology
17. Pastoral Ministry
18. Preaching
19. Theology and the Arts
20. Eschatology

Because twenty posts is a bit of a push, I will post these 4 at a time (i.e. over 5 posts). Did I say that I welcome suggestions?

Reading List: 1. Theological Method

Anthony C. Thiselton, New Horizons in Hermeneutics: The Theory and Practice of Transforming Biblical Reading

Arthur C. McGill, Suffering: A Test of Theological Method

Avery Dulles, The Craft of Theology

David Ford, Theology: A Very Short Introduction

Donald G. Bloesch, A Theology of Word and Spirit: Authority and Method in Theology

Donald MacKinnon, Borderlands of Theology

Eberhard Jüngel, God as the Mystery of the World

Ellen Charry, By the Renewing of Your Minds: the Pastoral Function of Christian Doctrine

Helmut Thielicke, A Little Exercise for Young Theologians

Immanuel Kant, Lectures on Philosophical Theology

George A. Lindbeck, The Nature of Doctrine: Religion and Theology in a Postliberal Age

Gerhard O. Forde, On Being a Theologian of the Cross: Reflections on Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation, 1518

Gerhard O. Forde, Theology is for Proclamation

John Howard Yoder, Preface to Theology: Christology and Theological Method

John Webster, Confessing God

Kevin J. Vanhoozer, The Drama Of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach To Christian Theology

Nicholas Wolterstorff, Divine Discourse: Philosophical Reflections on the Claim that God Speaks

Paul McGlasson, Invitation to Dogmatic Theology: A Canonical Approach

Peter T. Forsyth, The Principle of Authority: In Relation to Certainty, Sanctity and Society

Trevor A. Hart, Faith Thinking: The Dynamics of Christian Theology

Vern Poythress, Symphonic Theology

Reading List: 2. Systematics/Dogmatics:

Alister E. McGrath (ed.), The Christian Theology Reader

Carl E. Braaten & Robert W. Jenson (Eds.), Christian Dogmatics (2 vols)

Catherine M. Lacugna, God for Us: The Trinity and Christian Life

Clive S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Colin E. Gunton, The Christian Faith: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine

Daniel Migliore, Faith Seeking Understanding

Donald G. Bloesch, Christian Foundations (7 vols)

Donald G. Bloesch, Essentials of Evangelical Theology (2 vols)

Elizabeth A. Johnson, She Who Is: the Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse

Elizabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, In Memory of Her

Friedrich Schleiermacher, The Christian Faith

Geoffrey Wainwright, Doxology

Georg W. F. Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion

Gerrit C. Berkouwer, Studies in Dogmatics (14 vols)

Heinrich Heppe, Reformed Dogmatics

Helmut Thielicke, The Evangelical Faith (3 vols)

Hendrikus Berkhof, The Christian Faith

James William McClendon, Doctrine

Jaroslav Pelikan, The Christian Tradition (5 vols)

John Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards

Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics (13 vols)

Karl Barth, Dogmatics in Outline

Karl Barth, The Göttingen Dogmatics

Otto Weber, Foundations for Dogmatics (2 vols)

Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology (3 vols)

Robert W. Jenson, Systematic Theology (2 vols)

Rowan Williams, On Christian Theology

Stanley Grenz, Theology for the Community of God

Thomas Aquinas, The Summa Theologica

Thomas C. Oden, Systematic Theology (3 vols)

Thomas Erskine, The Unconditional Freeness of the Gospel

Thomas F. Torrance, The Trinitarian Faith

Ted Peters, God – the World’s Future: Systematic Theology for a New Era

Tyron Inbody, The Faith of the Christian Church

Wolfhart Pannenberg, Systematic Theology (3 vols)

Reading List: 3. Biblical Theology:

Adolf Schlatter, The History of the Christ: the Foundation for New Testament Theology

Adolf Schlatter, The Theology of the Apostles: The Development of New Testament Theology

Charles E. B. Cranfield, The Epistle to the Romans (2 vols)

Donald A. Carson, The Gagging of God

Francis Watson, Paul and the Hermeneutics of Faith

Gordon J. Wenham, Story as Torah: Reading the Old Testament Narrative Ethically

Gordon McConville, Grace in the End: A Study in Deuteronomic Theology

I. Howard Marshall, New Testament Theology: Many Witnesses, One Gospel

Noel Due, Created for Worship: From Genesis to Revelation to You

N. T. Wright, The Climax of the Covenant: Christ and the Law in Pauline Theology

N. T. Wright, The New Testament and the People of God: Christian Origins and the Question of God

N. T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God: Christian Origins and the Question of God

N. T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God

Richard B. Hays, The Moral Vision of the New Testament: Community, Cross, New Creation, A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics

Rudolph Bultmann, Theology of the New Testament (2 vols)

Walter Brueggemann, Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy

William J. Dumbrell, Covenant and Creation: A Theology of the Old Testament Covenants

William J. Dumbrell, Search for Order: Biblical Eschatology in Focus

Reading List: 4. Theology Proper:

Adrio König, Here Am I: A Believer’s Reflection on God

C. Norman Kraus, God our Savior

Colin E. Gunton, The Triune Creator

Donald G. Bloesch, God the Almighty: Power, Wisdom, Holiness, Love

Elizabeth A. Johnson, She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse

John D. Zizioulas, Being As Communion: Studies in Personhood and the Church

Jürgen Moltmann, The Trinity and the Kingdom: The Doctrine of God.

Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics II/1–2

Nicholas Lash, Holiness, Speech and Silence: Reflections on the Question of God

Peter T. Forsyth, The Justification of God

Robert Jenson, The Triune Identity: God According to the Gospel

Thomas F. Torrance, The Trinitarian Faith

Thomas F. Torrance, The Christian Doctrine of God

Next on the list: Patriology, Christology, Pneumatology, and Revelation.